Joe Biden on Monday urged elected officials in a divided Democratic Party to ” to gather “ around his candidacy, and challenged skeptics to confront him at the August nomination convention, as calls for his withdrawal continue.
“I am firmly determined to stay in the race”wrote the American president in a letter to Democratic parliamentarians, back in session in Washington after the break for the July 4 national holiday.
“It’s time to come together”judges the 81-year-old Democrat.
Her spokeswoman tried to quell a wave of speculation sparked by a New York Times report that a Parkinson’s disease specialist visited the White House eight times in eight months, between the summer of 2023 and last spring.
“Is the president (Joe Biden) being treated for Parkinson’s disease? No. (…) Is he taking medication for Parkinson’s disease? No.”said Karine Jean-Pierre, without indicating who this specialist had come to see or for what purpose, hiding behind an obligation of ” confidentiality “.
She noted that Biden had seen a neurologist three times during his annual checkups, the last of which was made public in February, and that he had been tested for various neurodegenerative diseases during those checkups, with negative results.
In the evening, the American executive went so far as to publish a letter from the president’s doctor, confirming that Joe Biden had not consulted a neurologist outside of these annual check-ups.
“Strange debate”
Concerns in the Democratic camp have been growing since the debate at the end of June against Donald Trump, during which he appeared very tired and confused.
“He looked extremely pale to put it mildly”Donald Trump commented Monday evening to Fox News, for his first interview since their televised duel.
“It was a strange debate, because from the first two minutes, the answers he gave didn’t make much sense.”added the 78-year-old Republican.
According to him, the democrat “doesn’t want to give up” and could well remain a candidate for the November presidential election.
Joe Biden told lawmakers he was not “not blind” to “concerns” expressed since the debate.
But in a call broadcast on MSNBC’s morning show, he vehemently attacked the rebels in his own party.
“Those guys who think I shouldn’t run, let them run against me. (…) Challenge me at the convention.” Democrat of the month of August, Joe Biden said in an angry tone.
Joe Biden is hosting the NATO summit in Washington this week. This is an opportunity for leaders of allied countries to also gauge the American president’s fitness, even if a spokesperson for the executive, John Kirby, assures that he has not “not detected” no sign of concern on this subject among NATO members.
The US president also plans to give a rare solo press conference on Thursday.
Heavy decision
The octogenarian goes to great lengths to appear dynamic and full of enthusiasm.
For example, on Sunday he gave a series of impromptu speeches and crowd baths in Pennsylvania.
Joe Biden also announced new trips: to Michigan on Friday, a state which, like Pennsylvania, will be decisive in November, then to Texas and Nevada later.
Several Democratic lawmakers now openly believe that it is time for him to throw in the towel. An influential congressman, Adam Smith, judged on CNN that Joe Bien should “to withdraw”because the president “is not the right person to carry the message of the Democratic Party.”
But others have thrown their support behind him, including Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leader in the House of Representatives.
“I made it clear and public the day after the debate that I supported President Joe Biden (…). My position has not changed.”he told CNN.
Despite these divisions, will the protest crystallize and lead to a coordinated offensive, publicly supported by very big names in the party, to encourage Joe Biden to give up his seat?
It would be a very difficult decision in an extremely tight schedule.
First, there is no indication that the American president would agree to give up his position.
Then, even if it did, the Democratic Party would risk a chaotic nomination convention in August in Chicago.
Finally, if a new candidate were to be designated, he or she would have only a little over two months to campaign before the November 5 election.
