President Joe Biden informed congressional Democrats in a letter on Monday that he will continue his reelection effort despite growing worries about his mental health and the feasibility of his campaign, while also criticising party “elites” in an interview ahead of a pivotal week on Capitol Hill.
“I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” Biden said in the letter, which CNN acquired.
Biden’s sharply written statement aimed to allay rising worries about his viability.
“For more than a week, the subject of how to proceed has been widely discussed. And it’s time for it to stop. We just have one position. And that is to defeat Donald Trump. We have 42 days till the Democratic Convention and 119 days until the general election. Any lapse in focus or lack of clarity about the work ahead only benefits Trump and harms us,” Biden said. “It is time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump.”
It’s a pivotal week for Biden’s political future, as he tries to quell the growing backlash with the House and Senate back in session for the first time since the debate. More than a few key House Democrats urged Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday that Biden should stand away due to worries about down-ballot Democratic elections.
Shortly after the letter was revealed, Biden appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” as part of a campaign to undertake more “off-the-cuff,” unscripted engagements to alleviate worries about his age.
However, the appearance, while lively, may not have had the intended effect.
Biden responded to a question on his letter to Hill Democrats calling for unity in a lengthy and oftentimes off-topic manner, and he chastised Trump for going to the golf course after the debate. Trump has generally avoided the spotlight as Biden battled the news cycle.
“Well look — Democrats — Joe, let me say it this way, the reason I’ve been on the road so much, all over the country, while Trump is riding around in a golf cart, filling out his golf cart before, golf cart before he even hits the ball — but anyway, he hasn’t been anywhere in 10 days, I’ve been all over the country, No. 1,” he went on.
He went on to say, “And I’ve gone all over the nation for numerous reasons, one of which was to confirm my gut that the party still wanted me to be the nominee. And all of the evidence suggests that the typical Democrat who voted, 14 million of them, still wants me to be the candidate, number one.”
In a sharp rebuttal to his detractors, Biden stated, “I’m becoming increasingly upset with the elites. Now, I’m not talking about you, but rather the party’s elites. They know a lot more. But if any of these men don’t believe I should run, they can run against me. Go ahead. Announce – make a presidential campaign announcement. Challenge me at the conference.”
( Source: CNN)
