Joe Biden tries to ease Democrats’ worries, vows to stay in race

Philadelphia, July 7

An embattled US President Joe Biden faced escalating pressure on Sunday from fellow Democrats worried about his candidacy, which he aimed to ease with a pair of campaign stops in the battleground 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 ability to do the job for another four years.

He has vowed to stay in the race, dismissing calls for him to drop out as “nonsense” in a fundraising email.

Democrats also suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris, seen as the likeliest candidate to replace Biden in the November 5 election were he to bow out, could perform well. The coming week is crucial, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” He encouraged the president to try hold a town hall or news conference to convince voters he is “the old Joe Biden.”

“I do think the president needs to do more,” Murphy said. “I do think the clock is ticking.” A much-anticipated Friday Biden interview with ABC News did little to ease the concerns of lawmakers and donors.

Democratic US Representative Adam Schiff said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Biden needs to move swiftly to put concerns to rest. “I think she (Harris) very well could win overwhelmingly, but before we get into a decision about who else it should be, the president needs to make a decision about whether it’s him,” Schiff said.

In Friday’s interview, Biden said only the “Lord Almighty” could persuade him to drop out. — Reuters