Biden returns to campaign trajectory determined to withstand huge pressure to give up his running

US President Joe Biden returns to his campaign trails on Sunday determined to hold on despite mounting pressure from Democratic politicians to abandon his candidacy, before starting a difficult week hosting a NATO summit in Washington.
The 81-year-old Democrat, who has not completely dispelled doubts about his ability to rule the country for a second term after a television interview on Friday, is set to attend campaign rallies in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a key state in the race for the White House.
First lady Jill Biden, who is urging her husband, the president, to stay in the race, is scheduled to campaign Monday in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina, according to a statement from her office.
However, pressure from Democratic lawmakers is increasing. Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffrez called a virtual crisis meeting of Democratic lawmakers on Sunday to discuss the best way forward, with Congress reconvening in the next few days.
Democratic Senator Mark Warner will try to organize a similar meeting in the Senate.
Four Democratic lawmakers have already asked Biden to withdraw from the presidential race on November.
They were joined by a fifth deputy, Angie Craig, on Saturday, saying in a statement that “in the absence of a strong response from the president himself after this debate, she doesn’t believe the president can run an effective campaign and win against Donald Trump”.
In a crucial television interview, Biden said Friday that no one else was better qualified than him to beat Trump on November, and appeared to deny polls that made clear he was in a tough position against his Republican rival.
In this ABC interview with journalist George Stephanopoulos, Biden repeatedly avoided answering a question about whether his physical and mental condition had deteriorated during his tenure.
When asked in his interview why he didn’t have an independent medical exam, Biden replied that his job was like taking a cognitive test every day.
“I get a cognitive test every day,” he said, “I’m not just campaigning, I’m leading the world”.