(Philadelphia) Under pressure, Joe Biden sought some comfort Sunday from a black congregation won over to his cause, determined not to give up despite calls, still in the minority, from Democratic elected officials for him to abandon the race for the White House.
The 81-year-old Democrat, himself a devout Catholic who relies on black voters, visited the Mt Airy Pentecostal Church in Philadelphia, where he could be seen humming and tapping his knee to gospel music.
PHOTO TOM BRENNER, THE NEW YORK TIMES
President Joe Biden speaks at Mt Airy Pentecostal Church in Philadelphia on July 7.
He made only a veiled reference to the crisis that has shaken his candidacy for a second term since his catastrophic debate against Donald Trump.
” I know […] “I only look like I’m 40, but I’ve been around a bit,” he said in brief remarks, also letting slip that “each of us is imperfect.”
But “we have to unite America again. That’s my goal. That’s what we’re going to do,” he said to cries of “four more years.”
Still doubts
The American president was still due to meet with trade unionists and supporters at the end of the day in Harrisburg, another city in this key state of Pennsylvania.
The Democratic candidate has a lot to do to erase the disastrous impression left by his debate against Donald Trump on June 27.
And his television interview Friday night did nothing to dispel doubts about his ability to run his campaign or beat his Republican opponent in November.
“I think the president needs to do more,” including in meetings without a teleprompter, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said Sunday. “Time is of the essence. This week is going to be really important and vital for the country and for the president,” the president’s insider told CNN.
The age of the captain
Because the pressure from worried Democratic elected officials is increasing.
“There’s only one reason the race between Trump and Biden is close, and that’s the president’s age,” Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said on NBC on Sunday.
House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has called a (virtual) meeting of the party’s top lawmakers to discuss how best to proceed.
At least one Democratic senator, Mark Warner, is reportedly trying to organize a similar forum in the upper chamber, the US press reported.
Five Democratic congressmen have already unequivocally called on Joe Biden to give up running in November.
Joe Biden said in his interview Friday that no one else is “more qualified” to beat Donald Trump. However, polls show him in clear difficulty against his Republican opponent in November.
During the ABC exchange, he also repeatedly dodged questions about whether his physical and mental health had deteriorated during his term. As president, “I take a cognitive test every day,” he said.
NATO Summit
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who has been unusually quiet in recent days, is revelling in the divisions among Democrats on his Truth Social network.
Joe Biden’s campaign team is determined, despite everything, to move forward as President Biden vows that he will not give up unless the “Lord” asks him to.
She unveiled an intense battle plan for July that includes a flurry of TV spots and trips to key states.
First Lady Jill Biden, who according to the American press is urging her husband to stay in the race, is due to campaign on Monday in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.
It’s going to be a tough week for Joe Biden, who is due to take part in an intense international sequence by hosting a summit of NATO leaders from Tuesday to Thursday.
Here too, he will have to work to reassure his allies, while many European countries fear a victory for Donald Trump in November, as he maintains uncertainty over American support for the Western military alliance.