Washington: US President Joe Biden has vowed to push on with his re-election bid and challenged doubters to contest him at the upcoming Democratic National Convention, amid growing concerns from within his own party that he should step down from the November 5 presidential election following a shaky and widely-panned debate performance that fuelled fears that he may not be up for the job at 81.
The US President has been attacked by his own party colleagues after his poor performance at the Atlanta debate on June 27 against his Republican rival Donald Trump, but adopted a defiant approach on Monday by dismissing the concerns of fellow Democrats on Capital Holl and donors that his persistence could cost the party the White House and Congress in the upcoming election.
"The bottom line here is that I am not going anywhere," Biden said in a phone call he placed to MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. He repeated that message to donors on a private call later in the day, according to two sources on the call. "We need to move forward. Look, we have roughly 40 days till the convention, 120 days till the election. We cannot waste any more time being distracted," he said in the call.
"I have one job and that is to beat Donald Trump. I am absolutely certain I am the best person to be able to do that. So we are done talking about the debate, it is time to put Trump in a bulls eye," the president said, according to Politico. The drama within the Democratic Party is playing out with just over a month until the Democratic National Convention and just a week before Republicans gather in Milwaukee to renominate Trump as their presidential pick.
Democratic lawmakers raise concerns over Biden's campaign
Biden's remarks came after five of his own party members - Jerry Nadler, Mark Takano, Joe Morelle, Ted Lieu and Adam Smith – expressed their view in this regard during a Democratic Party phone call organised to discuss Biden's below-par debate performance on June 27. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had convened a virtual meeting of his party leaders in the House of Representatives to discuss the evolving political situations following the June 27 debate.
Congressman Smith, the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, said it is time for Biden to go, according to two people familiar with the call, the daily reported. The four other Congressmen also shared the same sentiment and believed that it was time for Biden to quit the race.
"Any candidate for the highest office in our nation has a strong burden to bear. That candidate must be able to clearly, articulately, and strongly make his or her case to the American people. It is clear that President Biden is no longer able to meet this burden," said Smith. Morelle said many of his constituents had told him they worried Biden was not capable of serving as president.
Biden's halting debate performance has prompted some to question whether he was suffering from a neurological disorder such as Parkinson's disease, which can cause slurred speech and halting movement. However, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was given a clean bill of health in February and is not being treated for the disease. Biden's doctor has said further testing is not warranted, she said.
Support for Biden's candidacy
However, some lawmakers are still backing Biden despite the debacle over his debate performance. "President Joe Biden is the nominee and has been selected by millions of voters across this country," Representative Steven Horsford, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said on social media. Black voters are a critical part of Democrats' base of support.
Meanwhile, Biden will also host leaders of NATO member states in Washington this week intent on deepening support for Ukraine, leaving him with little time to focus on his campaign. However, all the NATO member states will be faced with the return of Trump, along with political uncertainty in Europe and a chaotic parliamentary election in France.
Biden's task is cut out - He will have to demonstrate that he is capable of meeting the grinding demands of the presidency amid a wave of scepticism from long-time allies. Meanwhile, Trump is getting back on the campaign trail to rally voters in a celebratory mood as Democrats face tough calls over President Joe Biden's reelection chances.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week found that one in three registered Democratic voters believed that Biden should quit the race, with 59 per cent of respondents in the president's party saying he is too old to work in government. However, that poll also found that none of his possible replacements fared better in a matchup against Trump. The poll found Biden and Trump tied at 40 per cent each.
(with inputs from agencies)
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