Joe Biden insists he will stay in race despite allies urging him to ‘pass the torch’
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Joe Biden has insisted he will stay in the presidential election race, despite more allies turning on him and urging him to “pass the torch” before it is too late.
The US president said he was “looking forward” to getting back on the campaign trail after he recovers from a bout of Covid, criticising Donald Trump and “making the case for [his] own record”.
Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have privately urged the president to reconsider his run for office, while Democratic leaders in Congress openly warned that he risked losing both branches of Congress and the White House in November.
But in a defiant statement, Mr Biden responded: “The stakes are high and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.”
It came after eight more Democrats warned that the perception Mr Biden is too old to serve a second term in the White House is “unlikely to change” and Kamala Harris’s allies prepared her to replace him.
Mr Biden had been expected by some Democrats to make a decision about his political future as soon as this weekend, but his team said on Friday that he would battle through the criticism to November’s election. Jen O’Malley Dillon, his campaign chief, said he was “absolutely” not stepping back.
Ms Pelosi, the former House Speaker, is reported to have privately made the case for Mr Biden to stand down and encouraged other Democrats to do the same.
Four sitting congressmen released a joint statement on Friday, telling Mr Biden: “It is now time for you to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders.
“We must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardising what should be a winning campaign. These perceptions may not be fair, but they have hardened in the aftermath of last month’s debate and are now unlikely to change.”
A third senator joined the calls for him to step aside. Martin Heinrich said that Mr Biden could “secure his legacy as one of our nation’s greatest leaders” by choosing to “pass the torch”.
Mr Biden’s mental acuity has been one of the biggest concerns among those pushing for his departure.
On Friday, Seth Moulton, a Democrat Congressman who called on Mr Biden to drop out of the race earlier this month, said the president did not recognise him at the recent D-Day commemorations in Normany.
“For the first time, he didn’t seem to recognise me. Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem,” he wrote in the Boston Globe on Friday.
A new “Pass the Torch” campaign group is launching an advertising campaign that will air in the breaks of Mr Biden’s favourite morning news programme next week, for viewers in his home town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he is self-isolating with Covid.
Mr Biden is reportedly angry about the way in which members of his own party have tried to push him out, after a 52-year career in US politics and a primary election earlier this year that he won virtually unopposed.
Ms O’Malley Dillon told MSNBC that Mr Biden was “absolutely in this race”, denying reports that his team was already working on a succession plan.
She admitted there had been a “slippage of support” following his weak performance in the television debate with Trump on June 27 and a campaign to oust him, but said it was a “small movement”.
In an internal note, reported by NBC News, one of Mr Biden’s campaign managers said on Friday that voters “consistently mention President Biden’s age when contacted” but that “the debate has not hurt support among the voters who will decide this election”.
However, it was also reported that allies of Ms Harris are preparing a campaign that would be launched if Mr Biden decides to step back and endorse her.
Mr Biden has asked his aides to show him polling on whether his vice-president would perform better in swing states, after surveys showed most battleground areas now favour Trump.
Other Democrats including Chuck Schumer, the senate majority leader, are “plotting” a shadow campaign that could run as soon as he decides to go, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Some senior Democrats are thought to be waiting until the end of the weekend, and will go public with their concerns about the president’s age and electability if he does not stand down of his own accord.
Although Mr Biden’s close aides believe he can still win, there is increasing concern on Capitol Hill that if he decides to stand down at next month’s party convention there will not be enough time for a replacement to build momentum before Nov 5.
07:55 PM BST
Blog closed
That’s it for today’s US blog. Here is a rundown of the main stories:
Joe Biden said he is ‘looking forward’ to getting back on the campaign trail as he defies pressure to quit his run for re-election.
A group of Democrats are planning to launch a TV ad urging Joe Biden to step down.
The number of Democrats who have called on Joe Biden to quit the race now number 20 in the House of Representatives and two senators.
Joe Biden is “more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump”, his campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said.
Montana Senator Jon Tester became the second Democrat senator to call on Joe Biden to quit his presidential run.
07:52 PM BST
Kamala Harris allies ‘working behind scenes to position her as Biden’s replacement’
Allies of Kamala Harris are said to be working behind the scenes to position the vice president as the best replacement for Joe Biden if he steps down as the Democratic nominee, writes Susie Coen.
The uncoordinated effort involves prepping talking points which show Ms Harris is the party’s best hope of defeating Donald Trump in November, sources told Politico.
The group is quietly preparing to show she is qualified to lead the ticket in her own right rather than simply because it would be remiss to overlook the first female black vice president.
It comes as the president, 81, is facing intense pressure to step aside and “pass the torch” to a younger candidate, following weeks of criticism from members of his party regarding his mental faculties.
07:39 PM BST
Biden fundraisers on hold, sources say, but Democrats push early nomination
Several fundraisers planned for Joe Biden’s re-election campaign are on hold, multiple Democratic sources involved in the events told Reuters, even as the Democratic Party plans to accelerate his nomination and he vowed to continue in the 2024 race.
Mr Biden had planned to raise money in Austin, Denver and California next week, but these plans have been shelved, at least for now, the sources said. The president tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday but said on Friday he would return to the campaign trail next week.
A number of big dollar donors are closing their checkbooks amid questions about whether Mr Biden should remain at the top of ticket, using their financial clout to tell Mr Biden to drop out of the race.
07:33 PM BST
Biden ‘looking forward’ to campaigning as he defies pressure to quit
Joe Biden said he is ‘looking forward’ to getting back on the campaign trail as he defies pressure to quit his run for re-election.
In a statement he said he wanted to continue exposing the threat Donald Trump poses to the country while “making the case for my own record”.
“The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win,” he said.
Mr Biden has engaged in a tug of war over his political future, with the number of Democrats opposing his bid for the White House again growing on Friday.
So far, 28 of the 264 Democrats in Congress have openly called for the 81-year-old to end his campaign, while other senior Democratic leaders have pushed him behind the scenes to do so, according to sources and media reports.
Many believe that unless a younger, more electable candidate runs in his place they will be beaten by Trump, who since his assassination attempt has enjoyed a surge in support.
Four Democrat congressmen called on Mr Biden to “pass the torch” on Friday, alongside Martin Heinrich, third senator to add his name to the list.
07:03 PM BST
Kamala Harris to address Democratic donors this afternoon, NYT reports
Vice President Kamala Harris will address a network of major Democratic donors this afternoon, the New York Times is reporting.
According to two sources, the address was called at short notice, with it not yet clear what will be discussed.
The Democrat party is currently torn between those who want Mr Biden to stay in the race and those who want him to drop out.
06:43 PM BST
All the Democrats who have called on Joe Biden to quit
A growing number of Democrats are urging Joe Biden to conclude his bid for re-election and make way for a younger contender after a series of stumbling performances on stage, writes Verity Bowman.
Concerns about his recent debate performance have escalated within the party over the past two weeks, drawing criticism from politicians, donors and other insiders.
Critics in the House of Representatives and beyond are now adding their voices to those pushing for a reconsideration of Mr Biden’s candidacy.
Among the most vocal are George Clooney, Disney heiress Abigail Disney and the philanthropist Gideon Stein.
06:32 PM BST
Biden takes aim at Trump’s ‘dark’ speech
Joe Biden doubled down on his insistence that he will stay in the White House race, despite a growing Democrat revolt that raised speculation he could bow out as soon as this weekend.
“The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win,” he said in a written statement from the Delaware beach home where he is recovering from Covid.
Mr Biden vowed to return to the campaign trail next week, and took aim at Donald Trump’s “dark” speech accepting his nomination at the Republican National Convention on Thursday.
But his defiance came as six more House Democrats and another senator joined those publicly calling on him to quit November’s election out of concerns over slipping polls and worries about his health.
06:08 PM BST
House minority leader backs Biden
Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, has stated that Mr Biden is the Democrats’ nominee as he branded him “one of the most accomplished American presidents in our history”.
He said he has the vision and track record “to make a case to the American people that will result in us being successful in November”.
.@hakeemjeffries: @JoeBiden "is our nominee."
"He's one of the most accomplished American presidents in our history. "
"He has the vision… and the track record to make a case to the American people that will result in us being successful in November." pic.twitter.com/0dFItAXkMu— Andrew Bates (@AndrewBatesNC) July 19, 2024
05:53 PM BST
New Mexico Democrat Senator calls on Biden to drop out
Here is a statement from Martin Heinrich, thanking Mr Biden for his public service and calling on him to stand down.
While the decision to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, I believe it is in the best interests of our country for him to step aside. pic.twitter.com/45mSrr9xV2
— Martin Heinrich (@MartinHeinrich) July 19, 2024
05:29 PM BST
Biden looking forward to getting back on campaign trail next week
Joe Biden has said he is looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week.
The president is under pressure from sections in his party to quit over doubts he can beat Donald Trump in the November election.
On Friday, his campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon told MSNBC he is “more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump”.
04:56 PM BST
Democrat group to launch TV ad urging Biden to stand down
A group of Democrats are planning to launch a TV ad urging Joe Biden to step down.
Pass The Torch, a newly-formed super PAC, announced it would be running the ad on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show and the network’s daytime hours in Washington, DC, and the Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, CNN reported.
The ad features several people saying how thankful they are that Mr Biden beat Donald Trump in 2020 but that he had to make room for a nominee “who can bring new energy” to the party.
04:31 PM BST
Jon Tester becomes second Democrat senator to pressure Biden to quit
Montana Senator Jon Tester became the second Democrat senator to call on Joe Biden to quit his presidential run.
Speaking late on Thursday, he said “Biden should not seek reelection to another term.”
“I have worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong,” he added.
04:03 PM BST
Pictured: Scenes from Thursday night’s Republican National Convention
Donald Trump basked in the adulation of his fans on the fourth night of the Republican National convention in Milwaukee after surviving a weekend assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.
Trump made a grand entrance into the arena during the program, still wearing a bandage over the ear that was wounded on Saturday, and drawing huge applause.
03:41 PM BST
Democrats ‘plot’ campaign without Joe Biden as candidate
Concerns over the President’s mental health have reached tipping point as senior party figures plan to replace him, writes Verity Bowman.
Leading Democrats are plotting a presidential campaign without Joe Biden leading the ticket.
The 81-year-old US President is under pressure to step aside and “pass the torch” to a younger candidate, following weeks of criticism from his own party regarding his mental faculties.
Senior Democrats, including Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, have indicated to party donors that they are actively planning their next steps in case Mr Biden decides to drop out, sources close to the matter told The Wall Street Journal.
Mr Schumer and former house speaker Nancy Pelosi have reportedly both told Mr Biden that his bid for reelection could endanger the party’s electoral chances in both chambers of Congress.
03:29 PM BST
20 Democrat congressmen calling on Biden to step down
The number of Democrats who have called on Joe Biden to quit the race now number 20 in the House of Representatives and two senators.
Jen O’Malley Dillon, Mr Biden’s former deputy chief of staff, admitted that the campaign had faced a difficult time since he appeared tired and confused in the June 27 debate.
“I’m not here to say that this hasn’t been a tough several weeks for the campaign,” she told MSNBC.
“There’s no doubt that it has been, and we’ve definitely seen some slippage in support, but it has been a small movement.”
A series of recent polls have shown Mr Biden behind Trump in the 2024 race, including in all key battleground states.
03:14 PM BST
‘Biden committed to beating Trump’
Joe Biden is “more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump”, his campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said.
Speaking to MSNBC’s Morning Joe programme, she said: “You have heard from the president directly time and again, he is in this race to win, and he is our nominee, and he’s going to be our president for a second term.
Mr Biden is currently holed up at his beach house in Delaware self-isolating with Covid.
Senior Democrats including former president Barack Obama, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and the party’s current leaders in the Senate and House have all reportedly expressed concerns that he will lose the election.
03:07 PM BST
Biden returns to the campaign trail next week
Joe Biden will return to the campaign trail next week after isolating from mild Covid symptoms, the head of his reelection campaign said on Friday.
“He is absolutely in it,” campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon told MSNBC in an interview. While Mr Biden takes concerns from some Democrats seriously, he is committed to fighting to win a second term, she said.
