President Joe Biden is trying to reassure voters and a growing number of Democrats who are reportedly calling for him to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. However, he has vowed to stay in the race during an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday, July 8.
“The bottom line is I’m not going anywhere. I am not going anywhere,” Biden said.
His words come as even more Democratic lawmakers called for his withdrawal from the presidential race over the weekend of July 6. Some have demanded more media appearances to reassure voters ahead of the general election.
Concerns were raised about the president’s mental acuity for office after a shaky debate performance on June 27.
Following those concerns, the president and his aides have tried to quell them. On Friday, July 5, President Biden addressed concerns about his physical and mental stamina to endure another four years as president on ABC News.
“Would you be willing to undergo an independent medical evaluation that included neurological and cognitive test and the release the to the American people,” George Stephanopoulos asked Biden.
Biden replied, “Look, I have a cognitive test every single day. Every day I have to that test. Everything I do. Not only my campaign but I’m running the world.”
However, the president failed to directly answer the question over whether or not he would take the test.
While the media sprint is meant to calm concerns, it has also drawn scrutiny. Over the weekend, a Philadelphia radio host, Andrea Lawful-Sanders, resigned after admitting to asking questions provided to her by the Biden campaign.
“The questions were sent to me. I approved them,” Lawful-Sanders said.
Another radio host in Milwaukee, Earl Ingram, also said that he was provided questions ahead of his interview with the president. However, he has not resigned.
A Biden campaign spokesperson acknowledged that the campaign provided questions to the radio show hosts but said, “We do not condition interviews on acceptance of these questions.”
Following the backlash, the Biden campaign said it will no longer recommend questions to interviewers.
Meanwhile, Biden’s reassurance tour hits the global stage as he plans to hold a press conference at the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., starting on July 9, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
