PHILADELPHIA — President Joe Biden urged supporters to stand united behind him at an emotional black church service on Sunday, where the pastor referenced biblical teachings by declaring “never count Joseph out” and blamed jealousy for pressure intensification of some Democrats abandoning their bid for re-election.
Speaking from a stage flanked by sunlight from a pair of stained-glass windows at the Mount Airy Church of God in Christ in Northwest Philadelphia, Biden, 81, laughed off concerns about his age, joking, “I know I look 40.” years,” but “I’ve been doing this a long time.”
“I, I swear to God, have never been more optimistic about the future of America if we stay united,” Biden said. He did not use a teleprompter, which has become more common since his disastrous debate performance last month, but spoke from a prepared speech.
His comments followed Pastor Louis Felton comparing Biden to Joseph and the biblical story of his “coat of many colors.” Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers, only to eventually gain a prominent place in Pharaoh’s kingdom and have his brothers beg him for help, without initially recognizing him.
“Never count Joseph out,” Felton pleaded. Then, referring to Democrats who called on Biden to step aside, he said, “That’s what’s happening, Mr. President. People are jealous of you. Envious of your persistence, jealous of our favor. Envious of God’s hand on your life.”
Biden later visited a campaign office in Philadelphia, telling those in attendance “we need you to keep going for the next 121 days” before the election. Also present was Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who won a tough 2022 race while recovering from a stroke, and offered strong support for Biden, saying, “That’s our president, that’s your president, that’s my president.”
“There’s only one guy who’s ever beaten Trump and he’s going to do it twice and take him down for good,” Fetterman said.
Biden was also scheduled to hold a rally later with union leaders and local Democrats in Harrisburg, the capital of battleground Pennsylvania, before returning to Washington, where leaders of NATO countries will gather for a meeting. three-day summit starting Tuesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the military alliance.
The two appearances followed Biden participating in a conference call Saturday with campaign surrogates and reiterating that he has no plans to step aside. He listened to the concerns and comments while pledging to campaign more intensely in the future and hit the road more often, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Still, the president’s political situation remains precarious.
Five Democratic lawmakers have already asked him to abandon his bid for re-election in front of November, and more people will be able to do so in the coming days as Congress reconvenes. The in-person meeting will give congressional Democrats the opportunity to discuss concerns about Biden’s ability to withstand the remaining four months of the campaign — not to mention four more years in the White House — and the true prospects of defeating the former Republican president. donald trump.
On Sunday, Alan Clendenin, a Democratic Tampa councilman and member of the Democratic National Committee, said on Sunday: “I believe it is in the best interests of our country and the world for President Joe Biden to step aside and allow Vice President Kamala Harris advance his agenda as our Democratic nominee.”
And director Rob Reiner, a Hollywood stalwart who helped raise funds for Biden, posted on X: “It’s time for Joe Biden to step down.”
Biden’s campaign team is quietly preparing for the chorus of those calling for him to leave the presidential race to grow in the coming days — staying on the phone with surrogates and calling and texting lawmakers to try to head off more possible defections. However, a weekend boost came to the president from other top Democrats who had raised issues earlier but now have moved to support youled by Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi and Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina.
With the Democratic convention fast Approaching, the short term is especially critical. Since the debate, donors, strategists, lawmakers and his constituents have been urging Democrats to replace him at the top of the ticket before, they argue, it is too late.
Biden Friday interview with ABC has not convinced some who remain skeptical that he can revive his campaign. That’s part of the reason he addressed the friendly crowd in Mount Airy, where he entered to cheers and a shout of “Let him know we’re with him!” that he drew a “Hallelujah!” The crowd also shouted, “Go, Joe!”
“There’s no election we can’t win,” Felton told those in attendance. “We are together because we love our president.”
“He is a fighter. He is a champion. He is a winner. Hallelujah!” the pastor said about Biden, before leading a prayer where he said, “Our president becomes discouraged. But today, through his holy spirit, renew your mind, renew your spirit, renew your body. He is the body we need in terrible times.”
The visit gave Biden an opportunity to energize African-American voters, who are Democrats’ largest and most loyal bloc of support. It could also send a message to members of the Congressional Black Caucus, whose support the president will need as he works to quell a potential riot at the Capitol.
At the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans on Saturday, Biden won enthusiastic support from four caucus members, including 85-year-old California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, who received a standing ovation when she declared: “People say Joe Biden is very old. Hell, I’m older than Biden!
“It won’t be any other Democratic candidate,” Waters said, “and we better know that.”
Others are not entirely convinced.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told CNN that Biden “needs to answer the questions that voters have,” but added, “If he does that this week, I think he will be in a very good position and we can get back to where he is.” happening. campaign needs to be.”
Biden declined to submit to independent cognitive testing, arguing that the daily rigors of the presidency were sufficient proof of his mental acuity. Still, California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff told NBC on Sunday that he would be “happy if both the president and Donald Trump took a cognitive test.”
Schiff also warned that Biden needs to consider how he risks dragging in other Democrats: “Look, there are concerns about the impact on down-ballot races if the president doesn’t do well.”
“You can only be so much ahead of the president,” he said.
And, as some Democrats did, Schiff stuck to Biden, suggesting during the ABC interview that losing to Trump would be acceptable “as long as I gave it my all.”
“It’s not just about whether he made the best attempt at college,” Schiff said, “it’s about whether he made the right decision to run or pass the torch.”
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Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington, Michelle Price in New York, Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina, and Bill Barrow in New Orleans contributed to this report.
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