Joe Biden on Monday urged lawmakers in a divided Democratic Party to “come together” around his candidacy, and challenged skeptics to challenge him at the August nominating convention, as calls for him to withdraw and speculation about his health intensify.
“I am firmly committed to staying in the race,” the American president wrote in a letter to Democratic congressmen, back in session in Washington after the July 4 break. “It is time to come together,” the 81-year-old Democrat said.
His spokeswoman tried to contain a wave of speculation sparked by an article from New York Timess indicating that a Parkinson’s specialist had visited the White House eight times in eight months, between the summer of 2023 and last spring.
“Is the President (Joe Biden) being treated for Parkinson’s disease? No. […] “Is he taking medication for Parkinson’s disease? No,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, without indicating who this specialist had come to see or for what purpose, hiding behind an obligation of “confidentiality.” She stressed that Joe Biden had seen a neurologist three times during his annual health check-ups, the last of which was made public in February, and that he had been tested for various neurodegenerative diseases during this context, with negative results.
In the evening, the American executive went so far as to publish a letter from the president’s doctor, confirming that Joe Biden had not consulted a neurologist outside of these annual check-ups.
“Strange debate”
Concerns in the Democratic camp have been mounting since the debate at the end of June against Donald Trump, during which he appeared very tired and confused. “He looked extremely pale, to put it mildly,” Donald Trump commented Monday evening to Fox Newsfor his first interview since their televised duel.
“It was a strange debate, because from the first two minutes, the answers he gave didn’t make much sense,” added the 78-year-old Republican. According to him, the Democrat “doesn’t want to give up” and could well remain a candidate for the presidential election in November.
Joe Biden told lawmakers he was “not blind” to the “concerns” expressed since the debate. But in a call broadcast on MSNBC’s morning show, he took a swipe at the naysayers in his own party. “Those guys who think I shouldn’t run, let them run against me. […] “Challenge me at the Democratic convention in August,” Joe Biden said furiously.
Joe Biden is hosting the NATO summit in Washington this week. It will be an opportunity for leaders of allied countries to also gauge the state of the American president, even if a spokesperson for the executive, John Kirby, assures that he has “not detected” any sign of concern on this subject among NATO members. The American president also plans to give a rare solo press conference on Thursday.
Heavy decision
The octogenarian is going to great lengths to appear dynamic and full of enthusiasm. For example, he gave a series of impromptu speeches and crowd baths in Pennsylvania on Sunday. Joe Biden has also announced new trips: to Michigan on Friday, a state that, like Pennsylvania, will be decisive in November, then to Texas and Nevada later. Several Democratic elected officials now openly believe that it is time for him to throw in the towel. An influential parliamentarian, Adam Smith, judged on CNN that Joe Biden should “step down”, because the president “is not the right person to carry the message of the Democratic Party.”
But others have thrown their support behind him, including Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leader in the House of Representatives. “I made it clear and public the day after the debate that I support President Joe Biden […]”My position has not changed,” he told CNN.
Despite these divisions, will the protest crystallize and lead to a coordinated offensive, publicly supported by very big names in the party, to encourage Joe Biden to give up his seat? This would be a very difficult decision in an extremely tight schedule. First, there is no guarantee that the American president would agree to give up his seat. Second, even if he did, the Democratic Party would take the risk of a chaotic nomination convention in August in Chicago. Finally, if a new candidate were designated, he or she would have only a little over two months to campaign before the November 5 election.