Joe Biden wants to put an end to the internal drama that has consumed the Democratic Party since the Atlanta debate. The US president has responded to calls from some congressmen to give up re-election. He assures them in a letter that he is “firmly committed” to his plan to run for re-election and asks them to regain internal unity to put their efforts into defeating Donald Trump. Biden is trying to close the cracks that have opened in his party before the dam bursts and overflows.
“The question of how to move forward has been a hot topic for more than a week. And it’s time for it to end,” Biden said in a letter to lawmakers. “We have one job. And that is to defeat Donald Trump. The Democratic Convention is 42 days away and the general election is 119 days away. Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us. It’s time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump,” added the president, who tweeted his two-page letter, in which he appears defiant.
The president recalls that the candidate is chosen through primaries. “It was a process open to anyone who wanted to stand. Only three people decided to challenge me. One of them did so badly that he abandoned the primaries to stand as an independent. [en referencia a Robert F. Kennedy Jr]. Another attacked me for being too old and was soundly defeated. [en alusión a Dean Philips]. The voters of the Democratic Party have voted. They have chosen me to be the party’s nominee. Now we say that this process doesn’t matter? I refuse to do so,” he said in his letter.
This morning, I sent a letter to my fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill. In it, I shared my thoughts about this moment in our campaign.
It’s time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/ABtAaJrr0n
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 8, 2024
In addition to the letter, Biden called into an MSNBC morning show to make similar arguments and challenge critics who think he should withdraw: “Run against me. Run for president. Challenge me at the convention,” he said. “The bottom line is we’re not going anywhere, I’m not going anywhere,” he said. The president acknowledged that the debate was “a terrible night,” but believes that in the days that followed he has proven his ability. “I wouldn’t run if I didn’t absolutely believe that I was the best candidate to beat Donald Trump in 2024,” he added.
Since the rally the day after the debate, Biden has been insisting that he will not withdraw to make way for another candidate at the Democratic National Convention, which takes place in Chicago from August 19 to 22. “When you fall, you get up,” was the message of the first day. At the Independence Day celebration at the White House last Thursday, he insisted: “I am not going anywhere.” On Friday, he was defiant in Madison, Wisconsin: “I am running and I am going to win again,” he shouted to hundreds of supporters gathered in a school sports hall. “I am still in the race, I am going to defeat Trump,” he added. “I am the candidate of the Democratic Party. You voted for me to be your nominee, not for anyone else,” he said before “completely” ruling out the idea of stepping aside when asked by reporters. Then, refusing to enter into the realm of hypotheses, he only admitted that he would withdraw if the “Lord Almighty” asked him to do so.
Knowing what’s happening outside means understanding what’s going to happen inside, so don’t miss anything.
KEEP READING
Despite the president’s insistence, there are more and more voices from Democratic Party heavyweights who ask him to pass the baton to another candidate due to doubts about his mental capacity, revived after the CNN debate in Atlanta. The interview he gave to ABC News that was broadcast on Friday did not serve to dispel those doubts. In a call with the leader of the Democratic minority in Congress on Sunday, several congressmen expressed their preference for another candidate.
There is no easy way out if the president does not give in. Almost all delegates attending the Chicago convention are committed to supporting him, but anxiety and division are growing within the party.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries held a call with about 15 House committee members on Sunday that laid bare the growing divide. At least four of the participants — Jerrold Nadler of New York, Jim Himes of Connecticut, Adam Smith of Washington state and Mark Takano of California — said in the private call, the contents of which have been reported by US media, that Biden should step aside. Other members, including Maxine Waters of California and Bobby Scott of Virginia, both leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, strongly supported Biden, as did Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, according to AP.
A poor showing in the presidential election is often reflected in the results of the midterm elections as well. On November 5, the 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 34 of the 100 senators are up for renewal. Jeffries is calling congressmen to private meetings. He plans to speak on Monday with the representatives whose re-election candidacies are most vulnerable. The Democrats will have a difficult time regaining the majority they lost in November 2022 without a good result in the presidential election.
As for the Senate, there is a good chance that the Democrats will lose control. Among the senators up for renewal in November, there are 24 Democrats and 10 Republicans. While the Republicans are competing in favorable constituencies, the Democrats are defending seats they won in areas that are now conservative. They risk losing their seats in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana, and to a lesser extent also in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. A hypothetical poor Democratic result weighed down by Biden would also allow the Republicans to renew their majority in the House of Representatives.
Following his recent events in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, the president is now focused on the NATO summit, although he will be back campaigning this weekend and next week. During this week, it is the first lady, Jill Biden, who is making a splash at various events. Biden will hold an extensive press conference on Thursday at the end of the NATO summit, something that he has marked as another milestone in the process of improving his image.
Follow all the information on the US elections atour weekly newsletter.