‘I’m Not Going Anywhere’, Biden Says after Calls to Step Down
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - US President Joe Biden has slapped down calls to end his faltering re-election bid, insisting he is “not going anywhere”.
Biden, 81, has been under growing pressure to assuage doubts about his physical and mental fitness following a stumbling debate performance last week against his Republican challenger, Donald Trump, Al Jazeera reported.
Three elected Democrats have publicly called on Biden to step aside since Thursday’s debate, during which the president stumbled over his words and lost his train of thought on several occasions.
Several other Democratic lawmakers have publicly warned that they expect him to lose to Trump in November’s presidential election.
Addressing a supporter who yelled “keep up the fight!” during an Independence Day celebration on Thursday, Biden reiterated that he had no intention of quitting the race.
“You got me, man. I’m not going anywhere,” Biden said at the White House event.
In a pre-recorded radio interview that aired earlier on Thursday, Biden pledged to keep fighting, describing his faltering debate performance as “a bad night”.
Despite growing concerns about Biden’s electability among Democrats and donors, the president has so far avoided a mass revolt against his candidacy from within his own ranks.
On Wednesday, a group of Democratic governors reiterated their support for Biden after a meeting with him and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House.
Concerns about Biden’s age and mental acuity, a longstanding concern for voters, appear to have intensified among the public since his debate appearance.
Biden also trailed Trump 49 percent to 41 percent, the highest margin since 2015.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who has rallied behind Biden, is widely considered the most likely successor if Biden were to step aside – although she, like other potential nominees, also trails Trump in polling.