Democrats are pushing Biden to abandon the presidential race amid major fears of Trump victory
US President Joe Biden gave no indication on Saturday that he was considering stepping down from the presidential race, amid growing calls from his Democratic peers to end his campaign.
Biden, 81, faces objection from some congressional Democrats and some influential donors who feel he lacks the ability to defeat Republican candidate Donald Trump, 78, in the Nov. 5 November election.
Biden’s interview with ABC News, broadcast on Friday night, appeared to do little to allay those fears.
Biden said in the interview that only divine power could persuade him to stop campaigning, ruling out the possibility that Democratic Party leaders would come together to try to persuade him to step down.
The White House said it had a regular phone call with Biden’s campaign co-chairs on Saturday.
Congressional pressure looks set to mount in the coming days as lawmakers return to Washington from recess.
Biden, 81, told supporters in an impassioned speech in Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday, “I’m going to run and I’m going to win again”.
NBC News reported that Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffreys has scheduled a remote meeting on Sunday with senior Democrats in the chamber to discuss Biden’s candidacy and next steps.
House Democratic sources said some House Democratic lawmakers were distributing two separate letters demanding Biden step down.
Many of those lawmakers are waiting to watch ABC News’ interview with Biden before moving forward.
Biden stays at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday without attending any public event, but often attends evening mass at church.
On Sunday, Biden will attend two campaign rallies in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Some polls show a widening lead over Biden, and Democrats fear that concerns surrounding the president could negatively affect the party’s chances in various votes.
But Biden recorded his best performance so far in the Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll, which showed Trump leading Biden by just two percentage points, 47 to 45%, in crucial states needed to win in the November November election.
Biden received a glimmer of hope early Saturday morning when the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas announced it had accepted a US proposal to begin talks on the release of Israeli hostages, including soldiers and men, a move that could pave the way for a ceasefire and end the nine-month conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Vice President Kamala Harris appears to be a better option to replace Biden if he steps down from the Democratic race.
On Friday, Harris posted a message of support on X after Biden’s campaign rally in Madison, saying the president had dedicated his life to fighting for Americans.
“At this moment, I know that we are all ready to fight for it,” she added.
