President Biden faced renewed calls from prominent Democrats to drop out of the presidential race just days after vowing to continue his campaign and prove to Americans he was up to the job, as pressure on the president over his fitness for the White House continued to mount, the WSJ reported.
At a meeting of senior House Democrats, several attendees said Sunday they believed Biden should step aside, according to the Journal. The members included top lawmakers on major committees, including Reps. Jerry Nadler and Joe Morelle of New York, Adam Smith of Washington, Jim Himes of Connecticut and Mark Takano of California.
The developments opened a major crack in Biden’s wall of support, bringing the number of House Democrats calling for him to step aside to about 10. They included top Democrats on the Judiciary, Armed Services and Intelligence Committees. The defections cast further doubt on Biden’s path forward, even though he controls his own destiny thanks to his victory in the Democratic presidential primary.
Biden tried to rally supporters at events in Pennsylvania on Sunday, joined by top Democratic officials including Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey, amid pressure to prove he has what it takes to win this fall. The day was designed to showcase the 81-year-old president’s campaign touch, continuing a string of appearances that included campaign remarks and a TV interview on Friday in which Biden delivered blunt remarks but did little to calm allies’ fears about his fitness.
Congress returns to work this week, with a full meeting of the House Democratic caucus expected on Tuesday. House Democrats are scheduled to meet Tuesday morning, and Biden’s future is expected to be a key part of the discussion.
The about-face comes as leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries prepare to head to Washington for a summit that was planned as a celebration of U.S. efforts to strengthen the alliance. Biden’s advisers had hoped it would be a chance to showcase him as a leader not just of the country but of the world. Instead, foreign ministries have been besieged by questions about Biden’s fitness and their private interactions with him.
Democrats expressed caution on Sunday’s broadcasts and pressed Biden to reopen the question of whether he should continue campaigning.
2024-07-07 22:46:13