US election campaign - Unperturbed Biden confronted with new withdrawal demands
In the debate about Joe Biden's suitability as a presidential candidate, another Congresswoman publicly called for his withdrawal. "President Biden is a good man and I respect his lifelong commitment," wrote the Democrat Angie Craig on the online platform X. "But he should make way for the next leadership generation. There's too much at stake."
Craig is now one of at least five Democrats and Democrats in the House of Representatives who have publicly turned against Biden. Two other representatives have also expressed their belief that he cannot win the presidential election against his Republican challenger Donald Trump in November.
The day before, Biden tried to dispel the significant doubts about his qualification in a much-noticed TV interview on ABC News. However, these doubts persisted. David Axelrod, former chief strategist for former President Barack Obama, expressed his opinion in an opinion piece for CNN titled "Biden's stubborn denial." The incumbent should step down "out of duty and love for his country," Axelrod urged. Otherwise, Biden's age will determine the rest of the campaign, not "Trump's moral and ethical emptiness."
Unyielding Biden relies on God
In the TV interview, the journalist George Stephanopoulos gave little opportunity for Biden, who is now the oldest US president in history at 81 years old, to focus on political achievements. The focus of the interviewer was strictly on Biden's qualification for the presidential campaign.
Biden reacted stubbornly and said, among other things, that only God could move him to withdraw. He rejected a medical test of his cognitive fitness, questioned the validity of poor poll numbers, and refused to go into detail about how his behavior could negatively affect the majorities in the US Congress.
Democrats worry about their own mandates
In the November election, not only the presidency but also many seats in the parliament will be re-elected. Among Democrats, there is growing concern that the Republicans could take control of both the White House and the Congress. Criticism, however, is currently being expressed more indirectly, that is, communicated through US media. Statements from unnamed congressional staffers are accumulating. These messages could become louder in the coming days - there is a session week in Congress. Reports suggest that the party is counting on more dissenters, who may also coordinate with each other.
Struggle over the narrative
Since his disastrous performance in the first TV debate against Trump, Biden has been fighting on all fronts to save his candidacy. He also relies on numerous appearances before audiences. Today, Biden is campaigning in Pennsylvania - the state is considered a "Swing State" and is therefore particularly important because it cannot be reliably assigned to either the Democrats or the Republicans.
Biden gathers with connected party colleagues on Saturday, including Senator Chris Coons. The longtime companion of Biden told CNN that the conversation was "constructive, open, and positive," during which Biden sought "sincere advice." They agreed that the TV interview had gone well. Prior to this, Biden's campaign team had announced that he had "exceeded expectations."
Trump's Team sends Mafia Quote
Trump meanwhile used Biden's intraparty prank for his own purposes. "Corrupt Joe Biden should ignore his numerous critics and push his powerful and far-reaching campaign forward with eagerness and strength," the Republican announced sarcastically through his platform Truth Social. "He should be sharp, precise, and energetic, just like in the TV debate."
Little later, Trump's campaign team sent an email with a link to the X-Account of the famous Mafia TV series "The Sopranos." This post reacted to a X-post of Biden with the quote: "If you have to keep saying you're the boss, you're not the boss." New York real estate mogul Trump has had mob connections attributed to him in the past, but they have never been proven.
Officially, Biden's presidency candidacy for his party is already secure - he is expected to be nominated at the Democratic Party convention, which takes place from August 19-22 in Chicago. In the primaries, Biden collected the necessary delegate votes. Notable competition in the primary campaign he did not have. If he were to still voluntarily throw in the towel or be forced to withdraw, the Democrats would have to quickly agree on a replacement.
- David Axelrod, a former chief strategist for President Barack Obama, expressed his criticism towards Biden's stance in an opinion piece for CNN titled "#Biden'sStubbornDenial".
- The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) featured Biden in a much-noticed TV interview, where he faced significant doubts about his qualification for the presidential election.
- In the debate about Biden's suitability as a presidential candidate, some Democrats have publicly expressed concerns, including Representative Angie Craig, who firmly believed that "there's too much at stake" for Biden to continue his candidacy.
- Criticism towards Biden's presidential campaign has also been voiced in the US media, such as CNN, with Axelrod urging him to consider stepping down out of duty and love for the country.
- As the oldest US president in history at 81 years old, Biden faced tough questioning from journalist George Stephanopoulos during the ABC News interview, focusing mainly on his qualifications to run the presidential campaign.
- Biden's campaign in the upcoming US election will also influence control of many seats in the parliament, causing Democrats to worry about the Republicans potentially taking control of both the White House and Congress.
- Joe Biden's political allies, such as Senator Chris Coons, continue to support him, meeting to discuss his campaign strategy and expressing positive feedback about his performance in the ABC News interview.
- The Republicans are making use of the intraparty pranks and criticism towards Biden, with Trump sarcastically urging him to "be sharp, precise, and energetic" and sending an email with a link to "The Sopranos" Mafia TV series, drawing undue attention to Trump's past mob connections.
- The Democratic Party convention will officially nominate Biden as the presidential candidate for the 2024 Presidential election, providing him with the necessary delegate votes, following his successful primary campaign without significant competition.
