A defiant
US President Joe Biden
on Friday tried to reassure voters he was in good shape Friday as he returned to the campaign trail amid mounting pressure from Democrats to step aside.
"We've got to finish the job. And I promise you I am OK," the 81-year-old told supporters at a diner in Northville in the battleground state of Michigan, which he must win in November to beat Donald Trump.
Even as President Joe Biden tried to put up a brave fight in the
high-stakes
White House 'big boy' press conference, donors and a few members of his own party don't seem convinced that the 81-year-old has what it takes to defeat Donald Trump in the elections four months from now, let alone lead the country for the next four years.
Though the president was able to present a detailed picture of his policies and was more adept at capturing the moment to take down his rival Trump on key issues, the continued verbal flubs referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as Vice President Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as President Putin, seems to have given democratic donors, fellow colleagues, and more importantly skeptics, the incentive to pressure Biden into dropping out of the race.
As a first response after the conference, several major donors on Friday informed the Biden campaign that they will be withholding around $90 million of promised funds due to reservations about President Biden running again, the New York Times reported. According to two individuals quoted, the frozen amounts include “multiple eight-figure commitments.” The report mentioned that Future Forward declined to comment beyond stating their belief that the contributions would be released once the uncertainty surrounding the Democratic ticket was resolved.
While a few Democrats have refrained from publicly calling for Biden to end his campaign, they have expressed discontent privately. More than a dozen Democratic House members and at least one Democratic senator have openly called for Biden to withdraw from his reelection bid. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who remains in Congress and is one of the party's most influential figures, has privately voiced her concerns.
However, over 70 members of the House and Senate have also publicly reaffirmed their support for Biden as the party’s presidential nominee following his poor debate performance late last month.
Democratic leader in the House shares 'blunt' view, stays away from endorsing prez
Meanwhile, Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, met with President Joe Biden on Thursday night to discuss various perspectives on Biden's candidacy. Following this meeting, Biden decided to start a delayed outreach campaign targeting key lawmakers, a move Democrats have long advocated for, according to CNN.
In a letter to his colleagues quoted by CNN, Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said that he “directly expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward that the Caucus has shared in our recent time together.”
However, Jeffries did not endorse Biden.
Jeffries was candid and "blunt" about the Caucus's views but intentionally refrained from endorsing Biden or publicly stating that the decision was Biden’s to make, CNN quoted the source as saying.
English (US) ·