After the House minority leader visited the White House to convey Democrats’ concerns about his candidacy, President Biden had a tense virtual meeting with lawmakers, where he resisted calls to step aside.
Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, has not indicated whether he shared his own thoughts with President Biden regarding stepping aside.
President Biden faced mounting pressure from Democrats questioning his candidacy, defending his decision to continue running despite calls to end his re-election bid.
Following a news conference intended to address party resistance, Democratic representatives returned to their districts uncertain about their next steps. Their House leader conveyed members’ deep concerns directly to Mr. Biden. While rallying in Michigan, prominent Democrats were absent from his side.
At the rally in Detroit, Mr. Biden stood firm, telling a supportive crowd, “I’m not going anywhere.” The enthusiastic crowd chanted “Don’t you quit!” as Mr. Biden delivered a fiery speech, contrasting himself with former President Trump.
In a move reminiscent of Trump, Biden pointed to the press and said, “They’ve been hammering me,” drawing boos from the crowd. “Guess what — Donald Trump has gotten a free pass.”
Back in Washington, Representative Jeffries disclosed his one-on-one meeting with Biden, relaying House Democrats’ serious concerns about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump in November.
In a letter to colleagues, Jeffries did not reveal his own advice to Biden but shared Democrats’ sentiments that the president should step aside.
During a tense virtual meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Biden pushed back on Representative Mike Levin, who urged him to step aside.
“That’s why I’m going out and letting people touch me, poke me, ask me questions,” Biden responded, according to a partial transcript. “I think I know what I’m doing.”