US President Joe Biden returned to the campaign trail on Friday, aiming to reassure voters and Democrats about his fitness for office after a major news conference failed to quell calls for him to quit.
“We’ve got to finish the job. And I promise you I am OK,” the 81-year-old Biden told supporters at a diner in Northville, Michigan, a key battleground state he must win in November to defeat Donald Trump.
Later in Detroit, Biden was scheduled to give a speech warning of the “nightmare” of a second Trump term under a hard-right manifesto that his campaign attributes to the former president. Despite these efforts, the number of Democrats urging Biden to step aside has grown, with 19 lawmakers now openly calling on him not to seek reelection following a poor debate performance against Trump on June 27.
Biden remains defiant, insisting during a high-stakes press conference at a NATO summit in Washington on Thursday that he would run again and win. However, a series of gaffes, including referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump” and confusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has kept his mental acuity in the spotlight.
“The president understands that there’s still some anxiety,” Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler told reporters traveling to Michigan with the president. “That’s why he’s laser-focused on demonstrating that he is the best person to take on Donald Trump and defeat him in November.”
Tyler downplayed the verbal slip-ups, noting that Biden has been known for making them throughout his long political career. “Joe Biden has been making gaffes for 40 years, he made a couple last night, he probably will continue to do so,” he said.
As the fallout from the debate continues into its third week, Biden has been making efforts to reach out to lawmakers, speaking by telephone to Latino and Asian members of the House of Representatives on Friday. The top Democrat in the House, Hakeem Jeffries, also met with Biden late Thursday after the press conference, though he did not provide details on their discussion.
The campaign event in Detroit marks Biden’s fourth trip this year to the state, which, along with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, was key to his 2020 victory. Biden’s speech is expected to focus on “Project 2025,” a blueprint for power by hardline conservatives that Democrats believe Trump would implement, despite his denials.
“Project 2025 is run and paid for by Trump people,” Biden is expected to say, according to excerpts released by his campaign. “And here is the nightmare it would unleash.”
Concerns over Biden’s candidacy are affecting Democratic donors, with Hollywood star and high-profile supporter George Clooney calling on Biden to step aside. The New York Times reported that several key donors have told Biden’s largest campaign fund that around $90 million in pledged donations is on hold if he continues to run.
Trump, who mocked Biden on social media during the news conference, called the Zelensky gaffe “unpardonable.” However, he added that Biden “shouldn’t allow complete losers like George Clooney, under the total auspices and control of Barack Hussein Obama, to push him out of office. That must be his decision, and his decision alone.”
Trump’s remarks refer to reports that some in Biden’s camp believe former President Obama is involved behind the scenes with those urging Biden to step aside.
