Defiant Biden promises to "win" in spite of the rising unrest

US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his commitment to continue running for president on Friday, bucking a mounting Democratic party mutiny that suggested he would withdraw as soon as this weekend.

“The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win,” the 81-year-old said in a statement from the Delaware beach home where he is in Covid isolation.

“I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week,” Biden added, as his doctor said the president was bouncing back from the symptoms of the disease.

However, Biden’s political situation seemed to be in far worse shape as nine more House Democrats and one senator joined the chorus of politicians who openly urged him to withdraw from his race against Donald Trump in November.

Fears over Biden’s age and health were aroused three weeks ago after a dismal debate performance against Trump. He has now been urged to withdraw by three senators and around thirty House Democrats.

The walls seemed to be closing in, with surveys indicating that the Republican was headed for a return to the Oval Office, claims that prominent Democrats had also voiced worries, and dwindling donations.

Although there was no firm agreement to leave the campaign, some members of Biden’s family have “discussed what an exit from his campaign might look like,” according to NBC News.

If Biden does withdraw, Vice President Kamala Harris, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, will take over as the nominee. On Friday, she was on an emergency call with contributors.

However, Biden’s campaign refuted rumors that he might withdraw, claiming that despite some “slippage” in support, he remained the front-runner.

Campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon declared, “Absolutely the president’s in this race,” on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show. “Joe Biden is determined to defeat Donald Trump more than ever.”

“Dark vision” – Biden’s remarks, which said that “Donald Trump’s dark vision for the future is not who we are as Americans,” attacked his rival’s speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday.

However, there has been a clear divide between the two camps, with Trump being greeted with success by the newly united Republicans following his survival of an attempted murder on Saturday.

The last 48 hours have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of pressure on Biden due to rumors that legislative leaders, former president Barack Obama, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had all voiced concerns behind closed doors.

Hakeem Jeffries, the leading Democrat in the House, was evasive on Friday, stating that Biden had the “decision to make” but that the “ticket that exists right now is the ticket we can win on.”

Given media rumors that the US president is spending his time holed up in Rehoboth Beach consulting with family members and contemplating his future, this could be the most momentous weekend of Biden’s term.

In order to provide some dignity to what would be a historically tardy decision by a sitting US president to not run for office, the NBC report suggested that it could entail a “carefully calculated plan” to step aside depending on his own schedule.

In addition, Biden’s choice to resign less than four months before the election would have to take into account the need to keep the Democratic Party orderly in regards to his replacement as nominee.

In 2020, Biden defeated Trump and became the oldest president of the United States ever.

However, despite the fact that his opponent is a convicted felon, a number of polls see him lagging Trump in the 2024 contest; conversely, other surveys indicate Harris to be more competitive.

AFP