Amid mounting pressure from his party, President Joe Biden reaffirmed his commitment to the presidential race, refusing to bow out despite a rocky debate performance against Donald Trump. Speaking at a rally in Michigan on Friday, Biden, 81, addressed speculation about his candidacy head-on.
“There’s been a lot of speculation lately. What’s Joe Biden going to do? Is he going to stay in the race, is he going to drop out?” Biden told a supportive crowd in Detroit, who responded with chants of “Don’t you quit!” He continued, “Here’s my answer: I am running and we’re going to win! I’m not going to change that.”
The President’s defiant stance comes after a high-stakes press conference at a NATO summit in Washington, where he faced scrutiny over his health and recent gaffes. The June 27 debate saw Biden mistakenly refer to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump” and confuse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with Russian President Vladimir Putin, fueling concerns among Democrats about his mental acuity.
Despite these blunders, Biden brushed off criticisms at the Detroit rally, instead calling on the media to focus on Trump’s “lies” and the controversial “Project 2025″—a plan by hardline conservatives that Democrats warn Trump would enact if re-elected. “Americans want a president, not a dictator,” Biden declared, countering Trump’s assertion that he would only act as a dictator on the first day of his presidency. Biden emphatically responded, “Over my dead body.”
As 19 Democratic lawmakers have urged Biden to reconsider his candidacy, citing health concerns, the President remains undeterred, emphasizing his determination to continue his campaign.
