President Biden will “absolutely” run for a second term, his campaign leader said on Friday, just as four more Democratic lawmakers called on Biden to drop out of the race.
Rep. Jared Huffman of San Rafael issued a joint statement with Reps. Mark Veasey of Texas, Chuy Garcia of Illinois and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin calling on Huffman to “face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and health are jeopardizing a campaign you must win.”
“While these perceptions may not be fair, they have been solidified in the aftermath of last month's debate and are now unlikely to change,” the statement said.
Huffman has been urging Biden and other Democrats for weeks to consider the issue and delay the formal nomination process, but until Friday she had not specifically called on Biden to withdraw. There has been speculation that Biden might withdraw from the race himself, but many lawmakers who have privately expressed doubts about Biden's prospects are expected to do so publicly if he doesn't.
The group of senators who spoke out publicly is significant because they come from factions of the party that have largely supported Biden: Huffman is a leader in the progressive wing, Veasey was the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus to urge Biden to drop out of the race, and Garcia is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which also supports Biden's continued campaign.
The statement did not specify who the successor would be or what the selection process would be, but it did endorse Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris, who has been split among Democrats over whether to hold an open selection process or appoint Harris if Biden declines.
“The Democratic Party is filled with talented young leaders, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, and you have lifted them up, empowered them, and prepared them for this moment,” the statement continued. “This passing of the baton will fundamentally change the trajectory of this race.”
Biden and his team maintain he has a strong chance of winning and continue to vow to continue the campaign.
“We're looking at the polls, and obviously we're looking at what a lot of people are looking at,” Biden campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon said on “Morning Joe,” “but we're also looking at a lot of key numbers about what's happening on the ground.”
Dillon said she expects the race to be close and that the Republican candidate's opinion of former President Trump is “solid.” She argues that Trump won't be able to win over voters who are concerned about Biden, and Democrats just need to win them back with door-to-door canvassing and other organizing efforts.
Biden has not attended any events since being diagnosed with COVID-19 late Wednesday, but he plans to return to campaign activities next week, she said.
“We know we've come a little bit further from the debates,” she said, referring to Biden's dismal performance last month that sparked concern among Democrats, “and we know the president has to demonstrate clearly to the American people what he believes, that he's in this campaign to win, and that he can do it.”
Biden has been under intense pressure to drop out of the race, and the pressure has intensified this week as party officials see a tough path to victory in national and battleground state polls. Multiple reports have suggested Biden could withdraw from the race as soon as this weekend. Polls also show that a majority of voters, including Democrats, want Biden out of the race.
Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, considered the politically weakest Democrat in the Senate, called for a top change in the nomination on Thursday night, just one day after Trump accepted his party's nomination.
