On Friday, an increasing number of Democrats urged President Joe Biden not to seek reelection in 2024. Senior officials from the White House and his campaign reportedly expressed their doubts in private about his continuation in the race.
Despite the concerns, Biden’s campaign confirmed that the president is currently reflective, particularly during his isolation period after testing positive for Covid-19. On “Morning Joe,” Jen O’Malley Dillon, Chair of the Biden-Harris Campaign, reinforced Biden’s determination to stay in the 2024 race despite the growing pressure from his party and many Americans.
“Absolutely the president’s in this race,” O’Malley Dillon said on Friday. “You’ve heard him say that time and time again. And I think we saw on display last night exactly why, because Donald Trump is not going to offer anything new to the American people. He’s the same person he was in 2020. He’s the same person he was at the debate stage.”
“Joe Biden is more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump,” she continued. “We believe on this campaign we are built for the close election that we are in and we see the path forward. The president is a leader of our campaign and of the country and he is clearly, in our impression and what we’ve built and in our engagement with voters, he’s the best person to take on Donald Trump and prosecute that case and present his vision versus what we saw last night.”
In a Friday interview with WNYC, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) avoided direct answers to questions about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump in the upcoming election. “I’ve made clear that President Joe Biden, Vice President Harris, the Biden-Harris ticket, along with Democrats in the House and the Senate have an incredible track record of support throughout the country,” Jeffries responded when pressed on Biden’s competitiveness against Trump.
He continued to discuss the current administration’s achievements, asserting they are “making a difference in the lives of everyday Americans.”
Several Democratic members of Congress are openly urging Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, voicing doubts about his prospects for reelection. Those who have called for Biden to step aside today include Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL), Chuy Garcia (D-IL), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Greg Landsman (D-OH), and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
“Last night the American people saw the same Donald Trump they rejected four years ago,” Biden said in a statement Thursday night after Trump’s RNC speech. “For over 90 minutes, he focused on his own grievances, with no plan to unite us and no plan to make life better for working people. He avoided mentioning his Project 2025 agenda, but still proudly flaunted the worst of MAGA extremism.”
He continued, “Donald Trump’s dark vision for the future is not who we are as Americans. Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box. I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America: one where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms, and create opportunity for everyone.”
Biden finished, “The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.”
"*" indicates required fields
