Biden calls for end to party drama in letter to Democrats – National
The American President Joe BidenIn a letter to congressional Democrats, he strongly opposed calls for him to drop his candidacy and called for an “end” to the intraparty drama that has torn Democrats apart since his poor performance in the public debates.
Biden’s efforts to shore up a deeply anxious Democratic Party come Monday as lawmakers return to Washington and face a choice: whether to work to revive his campaign or oust the party leader, a defining moment for his reelection and their own political futures.
Biden wrote in the two-page letter that “the question of how to move forward has been widely debated for over a week now. And it is time for that to stop.” He stressed that the party has “only one job,” which is to defeat presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in November.
“We have 42 days until the Democratic convention and 119 days until the general election,” Biden said in the letter distributed by his re-election campaign. “Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task at hand only helps Trump and hurts us. It is time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump.”
Concerns are running high as top Democratic lawmakers join calls for Biden to step down despite his refusal. At the same time, some of the president’s most ardent supporters are doubling down on their efforts to secure Biden’s presidency, insisting that no one is better positioned to beat Trump in what many see as one of the most consequential elections of a lifetime.
As lawmakers debate whether Biden should stay or go, there appear to be no easy answers.
The president’s party is in a delicate and highly volatile moment. Democrats who have worked alongside Biden for years, even decades, and appreciated his work on policy priorities are now asking uncomfortable questions about his political future. And this is playing out as Biden hosts world leaders for the NATO summit this week in Washington.
Time is not on their side, with nearly a month to go until the Democratic National Convention and just a week before the Republican rally in Milwaukee to renominate Trump as their presidential nominee. Many Democrats say the focus should instead be on convicting the former president of felony charges in the bribery case and on the ongoing federal charges in his attempt to overturn the 2020 election.
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It’s what Biden himself might call an inflection point. As he defiantly declares that he will not step down unless the Lord Almighty comes and asks him to, Democrats in the House and Senate are deciding how hard they want to fight for the president to change course, or whether they want to change course at all.
In an effort to “get on the same page,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has called lawmakers into private meetings before announcing his own preference, according to a person familiar with the situation who requested anonymity to discuss it. He plans to bring together Democrats with the lowest reelection prospects on Monday.
But a private call Sunday with about 15 senior members of the House committee revealed the deepening rift as at least four other Democrats — Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state and Rep. Mark Takano of California — said privately that Biden should step down.
Nadler, who was the highest-ranking member of the conference call, was the first to speak and say Biden should step down, according to a person familiar with the call who was granted anonymity to discuss it. He did so, mindful of his seniority and the fact that it would allow others to join him.
Many other participants on the call expressed concerns about Biden’s ability and chances of re-election, although they stopped short of saying Biden should withdraw from the race.
Still other members, including Rep. Maxine Waters of California and Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, both leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, spoke out forcefully in support of Biden, as did Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
Several lawmakers appeared frustrated that leaders were not providing direction or a path forward, according to people familiar with the call. One Democratic lawmaker said that whatever the decision, the situation must “end now,” one of the people said.
Neal later said the bottom line was that Biden beat Trump in 2020 and “he’ll do it again in November.”
The upheaval is also testing a new generation of leaders, led by Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Both New Yorkers have refrained from publicly giving lawmakers direction on the path forward as they struggle to balance the diverse views within their ranks.
Behind the scenes is House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, who continues to field calls from lawmakers seeking her advice on the situation, and is widely seen as the one to watch for any final decision on Biden’s future because of her closeness to the president and her vote-counting skills in party politics.
Nancy Pelosi spoke out last week, saying Biden’s debate performance raised “legitimate” questions that needed to be answered, but she continued to support the president. And Biden called her out last week when he reached out to other party leaders.
While Biden’s primetime interview on ABC Friday didn’t seem to do enough to calm worried Democrats, and some even said it made matters worse, Nancy Pelosi publicly praised Biden on social media as a “great president who continues to serve America.” She added, “And we’re not done yet!”
Schumer has kept a low profile throughout the ordeal, but he will gather Democratic senators Tuesday for their weekly lunch, where senators are sure to express a wide range of views.
One Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, had planned to bring senators together Monday to discuss Biden privately, but a person familiar with his thinking said those conversations will take place at Tuesday’s regular caucus lunch with all Democratic senators.
Another Democrat, Sen. Alex Padilla of California, said it was “time to stop whining and start knocking on doors again.”
Padilla spoke with Biden over the weekend and urged his campaign to “let Joe be Joe.”
“Given the debate, I think the campaign has no choice,” Padilla said Sunday, explaining that Biden must hold town hall meetings and impromptu events to show voters “the Joe Biden that I know and that most Americans have come to appreciate and love.”
Even as some deep-pocketed donors may show some unease, strategists working on the House and Senate races said they have seen record fundraising as donors view congressional Democrats as a “firewall” and last line of defense against Trump.
House Democrats have had some of their best fundraising days yet, including raising $3 million last Friday night after the debate at an event with former President Barack Obama and Jeffries in New York. That’s on top of the $1.3 million that went to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the debate and its immediate aftermath.
Democratic senators are also seeing a “surge” in support, according to a national Democrat familiar with the Senate elections.
As Democratic candidates campaign alongside Biden, the advice has been to focus on building their own brands and amplifying how the work done in Congress affects their local districts.
Associated Press journalists Farnoush Amiri, Kevin Freking, Seung Min Kim and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
