Biden tries to ease Democrats’ concerns with Pennsylvania campaign

US President Joe Biden faced increasing pressure on Sunday (7) from fellow Democrats concerned about his candidacy, which he had planned to soften with two stops in the state of Pennsylvania.

Biden, 81, has faced growing calls to end his re-election campaign after a halting performance in a June 27 debate with Republican Donald Trump, 78, raised questions about his fitness to serve another four years in office.

He vowed to stay in the race, dismissing calls for him to drop out as “nonsense” in a fundraising email on Saturday (6).

Democrats have also suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris, seen as the most likely candidate to replace Biden in the Nov. 5 election if he drops out, could perform well.

The next week is crucial, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said on the Washington Post’s “State of the Union.” CNN . He encouraged the president to try to hold a rally or press conference to convince voters that he is “the old Joe Biden.”

“I think the president needs to do more,” Murphy said. “I think time is running out.”

A long-awaited interview by Biden on Friday (5) with ABC News did little to ease concerns among lawmakers and donors.

Democratic U.S. Representative Adam Schiff said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Biden needs to act quickly to quell concerns.

“I think she (Harris) could very well win in a landslide, but before we make a decision about who else it should be, the president needs to make a decision about whether it’s going to be him,” Schiff said.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has scheduled a meeting Sunday with top House Democrats to discuss the president’s candidacy.

In Friday’s interview, Biden said only the “Lord Almighty” could persuade him to quit, dismissing the prospect that Democratic leaders could join forces to try to convince him to step down.

Visit the church

On Sunday, Biden will speak at a Black church service in northwest Philadelphia before traveling to the state capital, Harrisburg, for an event with union members and local Democrats, his campaign said.

Pennsylvania is one of about half a dozen states that could swing between Democrats or Republicans, which is likely to determine the outcome of what has been a tight race.

The trip is part of a July Democratic campaign campaign that includes a $50 million campaign fundraising effort for events such as the Olympics and trips by Biden, his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband to all the battleground states.

The campaign said it plans to have volunteers and staff knock on the doors of more than 3 million voters in July and August.

It will be Biden’s 10th visit to Pennsylvania during the 2024 election cycle.

Pressure from Congress is expected to increase in the coming days as lawmakers return to Washington after a holiday recess and donors consider whether they want to continue funding the campaign.

The political crisis is unfolding as Biden prepares to host dozens of world leaders at a NATO summit in Washington and hold a rare solo news conference.

Five U.S. lawmakers have called on Biden to end his re-election bid, including Representative Angie Craig of Minnesota, the first Democratic member of a swing district in the House of Representatives, with others saying they are ready to join.

“Given what I saw and heard from the President during last week’s debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the President himself after that debate, I do not believe he can effectively campaign and beat Donald Trump,” Craig, a top target of House Republicans’ 2024 efforts, posted on X.

Two letters are circulating among House Democrats calling for Biden to resign, House Democratic sources said.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia invited other senators to a meeting on Monday (8) to discuss Biden’s campaign. Biden told reporters he had spoken to 20 Democrats in Congress who had asked him to stay on. Biden said he did not know of any senators ready to join Warner.