U.S. President Joe Biden has pledged to stay in the presidential race and defeat his opponent, despite increasing demands from some Democratic Party members for him to step down.
The 81-year-old, isolating at his Delaware beach house due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, criticized his rival Donald Trump—who recently concluded the Republican National Convention—through a series of online posts on Friday, announcing he would resume campaigning next week.
Trump’s “dark vision for the future is not who we are as Americans. Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box,” Biden stated. “The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.”
Nevertheless, 12 additional Democratic politicians, including two senators and several Congress members, have urged the president to withdraw from the race.
Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, facing a tough re-election campaign, expressed in a statement on Friday that he concurs with “the many Ohioans” who have contacted him, requesting Biden to end his campaign.
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New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich, also up for re-election, became the third Senate Democrat to suggest Biden’s exit. He stated, “By passing the torch, he would secure his legacy as one of our nation’s greatest leaders and allow us to unite behind a candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump and safeguard the future of our democracy.”
Prominent Democratic leaders, including Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and Nancy Pelosi, have also reportedly urged Biden to step down privately.
Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon told MSNBC’s Morning Joe that Biden is not stepping down and is the “best person to take on Donald Trump,” noting that the concerns among top Democrats did not represent the broader party sentiment.
In a donor call on Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris expressed confidence in their campaign’s victory, saying, “We are going to win this election,” and emphasized that Biden prioritizes the American people.
A new group, Pass the Torch, plans to reach Biden through a television advertisement starting Monday on Morning Joe and other MSNBC daytime programs. Aaron Regunberg, a member of Pass the Torch’s steering committee, said they hope to convince Biden to step aside.
Niambi Carter, an associate professor at the University of Maryland, told Al Jazeera that the party would face significant challenges if Biden withdrew now. She noted that Biden won the primary decisively and those calling for his resignation need to support him if he stays in the race. Carter also highlighted the logistical and financial hurdles of transitioning to a new candidate at this stage.
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White House doctor Kevin O’Connor reported on Friday that Biden still had a dry cough and hoarseness but that his COVID-19 symptoms had improved. Biden is scheduled to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week, who will address the U.S. Congress on July 24 amid the conflict in Gaza.