As speculations grow on whether the president will pull out of the race, the White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre cleared the air for now saying ,”The president is moving forward.He’s moving forward as being president, he’s moving forward with his campaign … that is the president’s focus. The president’s focus is, how does he continue to do that work? And anything else that we’re hearing or that’s being reported is absolutely false.”
Earlier, a New York Times report cited an ally of the president, who said that Biden is weighing whether he should bow out of the race if upcoming interviews and appearances don’t do enough to calm voter fears in the wake of the presidential debate.
However, the White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Assistant to the President also rubbished claims by several media outlets as “absolutely false” and “not true.”
Aware of growing alarm in the party, Biden scheduled a meeting with all 23 Democratic governors on Wednesday evening.
He will make his pitch in the swing states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the coming days, and with ABC News this week for his first interview since the debate.
Growing pressure from within
As pressure mounts for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race following his lackluster perfomance against Republican rival Donald Trump, Democratic lawmaker Lloyd Doggett of Texas recently became the first to publicly call for him to step down.
Other Democratic officials have also voiced concerns, with two predicting Biden’s potential defeat to Trump in November and another urging him to step aside from the White House race. Influential figures in the House of Representatives, typically strong supporters of Biden such as Nancy Pelosi and James Clyburn, have acknowledged the validity of questions regarding his condition.
During a recent video conference call, House Democrats expressed their frustrations, though some cautioned against a leadership change so close to the August nominating convention.
Biden himself acknowledged that his performance in the presidential debate was subpar, admitting he “nearly fell asleep,” which has sparked significant controversy. At a campaign event in McLean, Virginia, Biden attributed his lackluster showing to jet lag from extensive travel across approximately 100 time zones during two overseas trips earlier in June.
Speaking without a teleprompter, he candidly stated, “I didn’t perform at my best, and frankly, I wasn’t very sharp.” Biden explained that despite advice from his staff, he had chosen to undertake extensive global travel before the debate, resulting in fatigue.
“Didn’t listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,” Biden said. “That’s no excuse but it is an explanation.”
( with input from agencies)