PHILADELPHIA (AP) — President Joe Biden At a black church service on Sunday, the pastor cited biblical teachings to declare that “we must never abandon Joseph” and called on his supporters to unite in their jealousy. Increasing pressure Some Democrats are urging him not to run for reelection.
Speaking on a stage lit by sunlight filtering through the stained-glass windows of the Mount Airy Church of God in Christ in Northwest Philadelphia, the 81-year-old Biden laughed off concerns about his age, joking, “I know I look 40, but I've been doing this for a long time.”
“Frankly, I've never been more optimistic about the future of America if we come together,” Biden said. He did not use a teleprompter, which has become commonplace since Biden took office. A crushing defeat in the debate He delivered a prepared speech last month but did not do so this time.
His remarks came after Pastor Lewis Felton likened Biden to Joseph, telling the biblical story of his “man of many colors,” a man sold into slavery in Egypt by jealous brothers but eventually rising to a high position in Pharaoh's kingdom and begging for his help, without initially recognizing him.
“Never underestimate Joseph,” Felton pleaded. Referring to Democrats calling on Biden to step down, he said, “That's what's happening, Mr. President. People are jealous of you. They're jealous of your tenacity. They're jealous of your favor. They're jealous of God's hand in your life.”
Biden will then hold a rally with union members and local Democrats in the battleground state of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, before returning to Washington, where NATO leaders are gathering. Three-day summit It begins on Tuesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the military alliance.
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Before Biden's two public appearances, he took part in a conference call with campaign surrogates on Saturday in which he reiterated that he has no plans to step down. He promised to listen to concerns and feedback and to focus on campaigning and be on the road more frequently going forward, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations.
Still, the president's political situation remains precarious.
Five Democratic lawmakers have already They called on him to give up on reelection. in front of NovemberMore lawmakers are likely to meet in person in the coming days as Congress reconvenes. Meeting in person would give Democrats a chance to debate whether Biden can survive the remaining four months of the campaign, perhaps even serve another four years in the White House, and what his real chances are of defeating the former Republican president. Donald Trump.
Alan Clendenin, a Tampa city councilman and member of the Democratic National Committee, said Sunday that he “believes it is in the best interest of our country and the world that President Joe Biden leaves office and Vice President Kamala Harris advances her agenda as the Democratic nominee.”
And Rob Reiner, a Hollywood executive who has helped Biden raise funds, posted on X, “It's time for Joe Biden to step down.”
Biden's team has been quietly preparing for growing calls for him to drop out of the race in the coming days, trying to thwart further defections with conference calls with surrogates and calls and texts to lawmakers. But the weekend saw an upsurge in support for the president from other leading Democrats who had previously expressed doubts but have now changed their minds. moved to support himIt will be led by the Honorable Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina.
The Democratic Convention is already underway It is approachingThe short-term outlook is especially important: Since the debate, donors, strategists, lawmakers and voters have been urging Democrats to remove Trump from their top spot before it's too late.
Biden's Friday Interview with ABC Trump has not been able to convince skeptics that he can resume his campaign, which is one reason he made his way to a friendly crowd in Mount Airy, where he entered to applause, chants of “Let him know we are with him!” and shouts of “Hallelujah!”
“There is no election we can't win,” Felton told the crowd, “and we are united because we love our president.”
“He's a warrior. He's a champion. He's a winner. Hallelujah!” the pastor said of Biden, leading a prayer: “We have a disappointing president, but today, by your Holy Spirit, renew his mind, renew his spirit and renew his body. He is the body we need in these frightening times.”
The visit gave Biden an opportunity to energize African-American voters, the Democratic Party's largest and most loyal base, and it also could send a message to members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who the president needs to quell a potential insurrection at Capitol Hill.
At the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans on Saturday, Biden received rapturous support from four members of his congressional delegation, including Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., 85. Ms. Waters earned a standing ovation when she declared, “Everybody says Joe Biden is too old. No, I'm older than Biden!”
“There's not going to be another Democratic candidate,” Waters said. “We should be well aware of that.”
Some aren't entirely convinced.
Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy told CNN that Biden “needs to answer the questions that voters have,” but added: “If he answers them this week, I think he'll be in a very good position and be able to get the race back on track.”
In an interview on Friday, Biden refused to take an independent cognitive test, arguing that the day-to-day rigors of the presidency were proof enough of his mental acuity. But Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told NBC on Sunday that he would be “happy if both the president and Donald Trump were to take a cognitive test.”
Schiff said whether the president continues to campaign “depends on what Joe Biden thinks is best,” and that Biden may fight “with all his might” to defeat Trump, but “if the decision is to pass the baton, the president should do everything in his power to enable the other candidate to succeed.”
Schiff warned that Biden must consider the risk of undermining Democratic support, saying “there is concern about the impact on lower-level elections if the president doesn't perform well.”
“There's only so much you can get ahead of the president,” he said.
Schiff also criticized Biden for suggesting in an ABC interview that he would be open to losing to Trump “as long as he gives it his all,” as some Democrats have done.
“This isn't just a question of whether he did his best in college, it's a question of whether he made the right decision to run or to pass the baton,” Schiff said.
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Weissert reported from Washington. Zake Miller in Washington, Michelle Price in New York, Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina, and Bill Barrow in New Orleans contributed to this report.
