Biden’s ability to win back skeptical Democrats is tested at a perilous moment for his campaign

Lisa Mascaro and Zeke Miller, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a week of run stops, interviews and insistence that he is nan champion campaigner to face Republican Donald Trump, President Joe Biden hasn’t softened nan push for him to exit nan 2024 race.

Biden has weighty options earlier him this play that could group nan guidance of nan state and his statement arsenic nan federation heads toward nan November predetermination pinch an energized GOP aft nan Republican nominating normal to nonstop Trump backmost to nan White House.

Rep. Mark Takano, nan apical Democrat connected nan House Veterans Affairs Committee, connected Saturday added his sanction to nan database of astir 3 twelve Democrats successful Congress who opportunity it’s clip for Biden to time off nan race. The Californian called connected Biden to “pass nan torch,” to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris, meanwhile, earned backing from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who told MSNBC connected Saturday that nan vice president is “ready to measurement up” to merge nan statement and return connected Trump should Biden determine to front out. Warren said knowing that “gives maine a batch of dream correct now.”

More lawmakers are expected to speak retired successful nan days ahead. Donors person raised concerns. And an statement calling connected Biden to “Pass nan Torch” planned a rally Saturday extracurricular nan White House. Biden has insisted that he’s each in.

“There is nary joyousness successful nan nickname he should not beryllium our nominee successful November,” said Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky, 1 of nan Democrats urging Biden’s exit from nan race. “But nan stakes of this predetermination are excessively precocious and we can’t consequence nan attraction of nan run being thing different than Donald Trump.”

The standoff has go progressively untenable for nan statement and its leaders, a period from nan Democratic National Convention that should beryllium a unifying infinitesimal to nominate their incumbent president to face Trump. Instead nan statement is astatine a crossroads unseen successful generations.

It’s creating a stark juxtaposition pinch Republicans who, aft years of bitter and chaotic infighting complete Trump, person fundamentally embraced nan erstwhile president’s far-right takeover of nan GOP, contempt his criminal condemnation successful a hush money lawsuit and pending national criminal indictment for trying to overturn nan 2020 predetermination earlier nan Jan. 6, 2021, onslaught connected nan Capitol.

From his formation location successful Delaware, Biden, 81, is isolating pinch a COVID infection, but besides politically pinch a mini circle of family and adjacent advisers. White House expert Kevin O’Connor said Friday that nan president still had a barren cough and hoarseness, but his COVID symptoms had improved.

The president’s squad insisted he’s fresh to return to nan run this coming week to antagonistic what he called a “dark vision” laid retired by Trump.

“Together, arsenic a statement and arsenic a country, we tin and will conclusion him astatine nan ballot box,” Biden said successful a connection Friday. “The stakes are high, and nan prime is clear. Together, we will win.”

But extracurricular nan Rehoboth enclave nan statement and passions are intensifying.

A philanthropist telephone pinch immoderate 300 group Friday was described arsenic a discarded of clip by 1 participant, who was granted anonymity to talk nan backstage conversation. While nan personification was complimentary of Harris, who said for 5 minutes, nan remainder of nan clip was filled by others who brushed speech philanthropist concerns, according to nan participant.

Not only are Democrats divided complete what Biden should do, they besides deficiency statement astir really to take a successor.

Democrats who are agitating for Biden to time off do not look to person coalesced astir a scheme for what would hap next, for now. Very fewer of nan lawmakers person mentioned Harris successful their statements, and immoderate person said they favour an unfastened nominating process that would propulsion nan party’s endorsement down a caller candidate.

Democratic Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Peter Welch of Vermont person some called for Biden to exit nan title and said they would favour an unfastened nominating process astatine nan convention.

“Having it beryllium unfastened would fortify whoever is nan eventual nominee,” Welch said successful an question and reply pinch The Associated Press.

Other Democrats opportunity it would beryllium politically unthinkable to move past Harris, nan nation’s first female vice president, who is Black and Southeast Asian, and logistically unworkable pinch a virtual nominating ballot being planned for early adjacent month, earlier nan Democratic normal opens successful Chicago connected Aug. 19.

Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum, who has called connected Biden to measurement aside, explicitly endorsed Harris arsenic a replacement.

“To springiness Democrats a strong, viable way to winning nan White House, I americium calling upon President Biden to merchandise his delegates and empower Vice-President Harris to measurement guardant to go nan Democratic nominee for President,” McCollum said successful her statement.

It’s unclear what else, if anything, nan president could do to reverse people and triumph backmost lawmakers and Democratic voters, who are wary of his expertise to conclusion Trump and service different word aft his halting statement capacity past month.

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats opportunity Biden should retreat from nan statesmanlike title and fto his statement nominate a different candidate, according to a caller AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, sharply undercutting his post-debate declare that “average Democrats” are still pinch him moreover if immoderate “big names” are turning connected him.

At nan aforesaid time, a mostly of Democrats judge Kamala Harris would do a bully occupation successful nan apical slot, according to a abstracted AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.

Biden, who sent a defiant missive to Democrats successful Congress vowing to enactment successful nan race, has yet to sojourn Capitol Hill to statement up support, an absence noticed by senators and representatives.

The president did behaviour a information of virtual conversations pinch various caucuses successful nan past week — immoderate of which ended poorly.

During a telephone pinch nan Congressional Hispanic Caucus, 1 Democrat, Rep. Mike Levin of California, told Biden he should measurement aside. During different pinch nan Congressional Progressive Caucus, Biden became protect erstwhile Rep. Jared Huffman of California asked him to see gathering pinch apical statement leaders astir nan way forward.

Huffman was 1 of 4 Democratic lawmakers who called Friday for Biden to measurement aside.

At nan aforesaid time, Biden still has beardown backers. He picked up support Friday from nan Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ run limb and has backing from leaders of nan Congressional Black Caucus and nan Congressional Progressive Caucus.

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Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti successful East Lansing, Mich., and Mary Clare Jalonick, Seung Min Kim, Farnoush Amiri and Darlene Superville successful Washington contributed to this report.

President Joe Biden walks connected shape to speak during nan NAACP nationalist normal Tuesday, July 16, 2024, successful Las Vegas. | David Becker, Associated Press