The swing state poll shows Biden trailing furthest in Pennsylvania, where he was born, by seven points. | Photo: Bloomberg
By Akayla Gardner
President Joe Biden is again facing threats from members of his own party as he tries to salvage his re-election fight while fending off calls from Democratic lawmakers to step aside.
Biden, 81, remains adamant that he will continue his White House run against Donald Trump, despite a storm of concerns about his age and mental acuity stoked by his debate performance more than a week ago. But candid discussions scheduled in the coming days between Democrats in the House and Senate could pose new risks to the president’s political future.
House and Senate lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday, their first in-person meeting since the June 27 debate. That could set off a new wave of calls from lawmakers urging Biden to step aside or reevaluate his candidacy. Five House Democrats have already called on Biden to end his campaign.
Biden, who said in an ABC News interview Friday that he would only step down if the “Lord Almighty” forced him to do so, is ramping up his campaign activities. The president will travel to Pennsylvania on Sunday, stopping at a Black church in Philadelphia to meet with a key group of voters who helped revive his 2020 presidential bid before attending a community event in Harrisburg.
The president will not speak at a meeting of the National Education Association as originally planned after the union’s staff announced a strike and Biden, a staunch supporter of workers, said he would not cross the picket line.
Congress deliberates
Coinciding with Biden’s campaign events, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has scheduled a rare virtual Sunday meeting for Democrats before lawmakers return to Washington on Monday. Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, also plans to hold talks next week to discuss whether to call on Biden to withdraw.
The pressure on Biden and his team is mounting, and any sign that the president’s age is hampering his ability to do the job could be costly. Biden spoke with key campaign advisers Saturday, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Jeffrey Katzenberg, a liaison between the campaign and major donors, about the path forward. Paul Tagliabue, a former National Football League commissioner and Democratic donor who has joined the Leadership Now Project in calling for Biden to step aside, said the president could assuage some fears if he voluntarily released more health information.
Biden’s team faced criticism Saturday when radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders revealed to CNN that she had been given a list of questions to ask the president before a brief interview with him on Wednesday. That came after fellow Democrats encouraged the campaign to have Biden make unscripted appearances to build confidence in his mental acuity.
The campaign will not offer suggested questions going forward, said a person familiar with the Biden booking operation, who asked not to be identified to discuss an internal decision. The person added that interviewers have always been free to ask any questions they want.
Paul Tagliabue, a former National Football League commissioner and Democratic donor who has joined the Leadership Now Project in calling for Biden to resign, said the president could alleviate some concerns if he voluntarily released more health information.
“I think about professional athletes, before they sign a four-year contract, they go through thorough investigations,” Tagliabue, 83, said in an interview. “They know how critical and revealing that information can be.”
New poll
Several Biden campaign officials shared the latest Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll of voters in swing states on social media, showing the president outperforming Trump since the poll was first conducted in October. However, he still trails Trump by two percentage points.
The swing state poll shows Biden trailing furthest in Pennsylvania, where he was born, by seven points.
The president’s aides have attacked the press’ coverage of the debate fallout in recent days. “Beltway media: Do as we say! Battleground State voters: No,” White House communications director Ben LaBolt wrote on the social media platform X, citing the latest survey.
The swing state poll results differ from national polls from CNN, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times/Siena College, which have shown Biden trailing Trump since the debate, raising concerns that his performance has hurt him among persuasive but undecided voters.
Biden faces another heavy audience next week when he hosts NATO leaders at a summit that begins Tuesday in Washington. Foreign leaders and diplomats have been among the most vocal in expressing concern about his age and health. The event will also draw a high-pressure news conference that will put Biden back in the spotlight.
First print: 07 Jul 2024 | 08:07 IST