US President Joe Biden appears to be in no mood to quit his presidential candidacy as he launched a direct offensive at Democrats who have called for him to back out as a contender following his weak performance at the June 27 presidential debate.
In a defiant response at the ‘Morning Joe’ show, President Biden challenged his party colleagues to bring up this issue at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month. “If any of these guys don’t think I should run, run against me,” Mr. Biden said on ‘Morning Joe’, hitting back at his critics. “Go ahead, announce for president. Challenge me at the convention,” Biden said in a phone interview with the MSNBC show.
Biden’s remarks come at a time when his age – he is 81 – and declining health remain prime concerns for his party members. A recent NYT report found that a neurologist, an expert on Parkinson’s disease, visited the White House eight times in eight months, even meeting President Biden’s physician once.
Further fueling concerns over his health, during a recent church ceremony in Pennsylvania, Biden found himself in an awkward situation when he continued to sit for 25 seconds, even after the pastor asked the congregation to stand. The incident happened during a campaign stop in Philadelphia.
President Biden at the presidential debate. (Reuters photo)
Amid calls that he should drop out of the race, Biden is trying to bring attention back to defeating Donald Trump. “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,” Biden said in a private meeting with National Finance Committee members.
In case Biden decides to back out, Democrats have put forth alternatives other than Vice President Kamala Harris. From Michigan and California governors Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Newsom to Pennsylvania and Illinois governors Josh Shapiro and J B Pritzker, several names have been floated. However, Harris remains the most favourable, by far, as per experts.
Meanwhile, even as First Lady Jill Biden cemented her support for her husband by saying he has “made it clear that he’s all in”, an unfazed Biden said, “I am not going to explain anymore about what I should or should not do. I am running. I am running, and if you want to stop me, come.”
He is also set to host the 75th NATO summit in Washington on July 9. The three-day event will be followed by an aggressive campaign, Biden’s allies said.
