HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – An embattled U.S. President Joe Biden faced escalating pressure from fellow Democrats worried about his candidacy on Sunday, concerns he worked to ease with campaign stops in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Biden, 81, faces growing calls to end his reelection bid after a halting performance in a June 27 debate with Republican Donald Trump, 78, raised questions about his ability to do the job for another four years. He has vowed to stay in the race, dismissing calls for him to drop out as “nonsense” in a fundraising email on Saturday. On Sunday, the Democratic president received a warm welcome at a Black church in Philadelphia and later traveled to the Pennsylvania state capital, Harrisburg, for an event with union members.
Black voters are a critical part of Biden’s base of support and recent public opinion polling has shown their support for him softening. On a leadership call on Sunday called by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, some House Democrats said that Biden should step aside as presidential candidate, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters. Representatives Jerrold Nadler, Adam Smith, Mark Takano and Joe Morelle, senior House Democrats who sit on the Judiciary, Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and House Administration committees, were among those who called on Biden to step aside, according to media reports.
Democrats also suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris, seen as the likeliest candid.
