President Joe Biden urged his supporters to stay unified during a series of Sunday stops in critical Pennsylvania on Sunday, even as some leading congressional Democrats privately suggested it was time for him to abandon his reelection bid because of intensifying questions about whether he91裸聊视频檚 fit for another term.
Addressing a rousing church service in front of stained glass windows bathed in sunshine at Philadelphia91裸聊视频檚 Mount Airy Church of God in Christ, the 81-year-old Biden joked, 91裸聊视频淚 know I look 4091裸聊视频� but 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e been doing this a long time.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚, honest to God, have never been more optimistic about America91裸聊视频檚 future if we stick together,91裸聊视频� he said.
There and during a subsequent rally with union members in Harrisburg, Biden offered short speeches that touched on familiar topics. But he also left plenty of room for key backers to discuss standing by him. In that way, the Pennsylvania swing seemed meant to showcase support for the president from key political quarters more than proving he91裸聊视频檚 up to four more years.
His party, though, remains deeply divided.
As Congress prepares to resume this week, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries convened top committee lawmakers Sunday afternoon to assess their views. Several Democratic committee leaders, including Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut and Rep. Mark Takano of California, said privately that Biden should step aside, according to two people familiar with the meeting and granted anonymity to discuss it.
But other top Democrats, including members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus, argued just as forcefully that Biden remain the party91裸聊视频檚 choice. The conversation was wide ranging, with the committee leaders sharing various views on the situation, but there was no unanimity on what should be done, the people said.
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Biden was personally calling lawmakers through the weekend. He also joined a call with campaign surrogates and reiterated that he has no plans to leave the race. Instead, the president pledged to campaign harder going forward and to step up his political travel, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
One Democrat the president spoke to, Sen. Alex Padilla of California, said he and others are pushing the Biden campaign to 91裸聊视频渓et Joe be Joe, get him out there.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淚 absolutely believe we can turn it around,91裸聊视频� Padilla told The Associated Press.
Meanwhile, a person familiar with Sen. Mark Warner91裸聊视频檚 thinking said there will be no meeting on Monday to talk about Biden91裸聊视频檚 future, as had been previously discussed, and that those discussions will take place in Tuesday91裸聊视频檚 regular caucus luncheon with all Democratic senators. The person said a private meeting was no longer possible after it was made public that the Virginia Democrat was reaching out to senators about Biden, and that a variety of conversations among senators continue.
Five other, different Democratic lawmakers have already publicly called on Biden to abandon his reelection campaign ahead of November. Meeting this coming week in person means more chances for lawmakers to discuss concerns about Biden91裸聊视频檚 ability to withstand the remaining four months of the campaign 91裸聊视频� not to mention four more years in the White House 91裸聊视频� and true prospects of beating Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump.
Biden91裸聊视频檚 campaign team was also calling and texting lawmakers to try to head off more potential defections, while increasingly asking high-profile Biden supporters to speak out on his behalf..
Calls to bow out nonetheless popped up from different directions.
Alan Clendenin, a Tampa city councilman and member of the Democratic National Committee, on Sunday called for Biden to 91裸聊视频渟tep aside and allow Vice President Kamala Harris to carry forward his agenda as our Democratic nominee.91裸聊视频� Director Rob Reiner, who has helped organize glitzy Hollywood fundraisers for Biden in the past, posted on X, 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 time for Joe Biden to step down.91裸聊视频�
The Democratic convention is fast approaching and Biden91裸聊视频檚 Friday interview with ABC has not convinced some who remain skeptical.
Democratic fundraising bundler Barry Goodman, a Michigan attorney, said he91裸聊视频檚 backing Biden but, should he step aside, he91裸聊视频檇 throw his support to Harris. That91裸聊视频檚 notable since Goodman was also a finance co-chairman for both of the statewide campaigns of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has also been mentioned as a top-of-the-ticket alternative.
91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 have much time,91裸聊视频� Goodman said. 91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 think the president gets out. But if he does, I think it would be Kamala.91裸聊视频�
There was no such suggestion at Mount Airy, where Pastor Louis Felton likened the president to Joseph and the biblical story of his 91裸聊视频渃oat of many colors.91裸聊视频� In it, Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers, only eventually to obtain a high place in the kingdom of the pharaoh and have his brothers beg him for assistance without initially recognizing him.
91裸聊视频淣ever count Joseph out,91裸聊视频� Felton implored. Then, referring to Democrats who have called on Biden to step aside, he added, 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 what91裸聊视频檚 going on, Mr. President. People are jealous of you. Jealous of your stick-to-itiveness, jealous of your favor. Jealous of God91裸聊视频檚 hand upon your life.91裸聊视频�
Felton also led a prayer where he said, 91裸聊视频淥ur president gets discouraged. But today, through your holy spirit, renew his mind, renew his spirt, renew his body.91裸聊视频�
After the church service, Biden visited a campaign office in Philadelphia, where Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who won a tough 2022 race while recovering from a stroke, offered a forceful endorsement.
91裸聊视频淭here is only one guy that has ever beaten Trump,91裸聊视频� Fetterman said. 91裸聊视频淎nd he is going to do it twice and put him down for good.91裸聊视频�
Later stepping off Air Force One in Harrisburg, the president was asked if the Democratic Party was behind him and emphatically responded, 91裸聊视频淵es.91裸聊视频�
Joining him at the union event, Rep. Madeleine Dean, also a Pennsylvania Democrat, said that 91裸聊视频渄emocracy is on the line. There91裸聊视频檚 one man who understands it it91裸聊视频檚 Joe Biden.91裸聊视频�
Isabel Afonso, who saw Biden speak in Harrisburg, said she was worried when she saw the president91裸聊视频檚 debate performance, but doesn91裸聊视频檛 think he should drop out of the race and that he can still win. 91裸聊视频淚 know he is old, but I know if something happens to him, a reasonable person will replace him,91裸聊视频� said Afonso, 63.
At the same event, 73-year-old James Johnson said he knew what it was like to forget things as he91裸聊视频檚 gotten older but called Biden 91裸聊视频渁 fighter.91裸聊视频� He said replacing the president at the top of the Democratic ticket would only cause confusion.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 talking about lifelong Democrats and people that have been in the Democratic Party for a long time,91裸聊视频� Johnson said. 91裸聊视频淭hey may just decide to jump ship, because of that.91裸聊视频�
Still, others aren91裸聊视频檛 fully convinced.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told CNN that Biden 91裸聊视频渘eeds to answer those questions that voters have91裸聊视频� while adding, 91裸聊视频淚f he does that this week, I think he will be in a very good position.91裸聊视频�
Biden has rejected undergoing independent cognitive testing, arguing that the everyday rigors of the presidency were proof enough of his mental acuity. Yet California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff told NBC on Sunday that he91裸聊视频檇 be 91裸聊视频渉appy if both the president and Donald Trump took a cognitive test.91裸聊视频�
As some Democrats have done, Schiff also seized on Biden suggesting during the ABC interview that losing to Trump would be acceptable 91裸聊视频渁s long as I give it my all.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭his is not just about whether he gave it the best college try,91裸聊视频� Schiff said 91裸聊视频渂ut rather whether he made the right decision to run or to pass the torch.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频�-
Weissert and Mascaro reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Kevin Freking in Washington, Michelle Price in New York, Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina, and Bill Barrow in New Orleans contributed to this report.
Colleen Long, Will Weissert, Marc Levy And Lisa Mascaro, The Associated Press
