US President Joe Biden has once again reaffirmed his determination to run for a second term in office this November and has written a letter to his fellow Democratic lawmakers, calling on them to ignore speculation about the future of his election campaign.
Biden’s message comes after more than a week of debates in the US media and among senior Democrats about who could replace him on the party’s election ticket this year. Many of his supporters and major donors have grown increasingly concerned over the 81-year-old’s mental health following his recent debate with Republican rival Donald Trump. During that event, Biden came off as frail, struggling to finish his sentences, mixing up his words and losing his train of thought on several occasions.
However, in a letter sent to his fellow Democrats in Congress on Monday, Biden stressed that he remains “firmly committed” to staying in the 2024 presidential race and called on lawmakers to support his campaign in order to win the election.
“I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” the 81-year-old wrote.
Addressing the concerns over his mental health, Biden stated that he had “extensive conversation” with both party leaders and voters and has “heard the concerns that people have.”
“I can respond to all this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024,” the president wrote.
He went on to stress that during the Democratic nomination process he garnered over 14 million votes, accounting for 87% of the votes cast, making him the presumptive presidential nominee for the party “by a wide margin.”
“The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end,” Biden insisted, calling on Democrats to “come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump.”
Meanwhile, according to Axios, a growing number of senior Democrats are pushing for Biden to withdraw from the race by the end of this week. The outlet has claimed that many House members and senators believe that calls for the president to drop out will only intensify with time, with one top Democratic operative stating that “every day that goes by is a disaster.”