President Joe Biden vowed Monday to stay in the re-election race, even as a growing number of Democrats over the weekend called for him to withdraw and a key Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives called for an investigation into the president’s doctor.
IN letter to Democratic lawmakers, Biden argued that calls for him to drop out of the presidential race — just 119 days before Election Day — ignore the results of the Democratic primaries and caucuses, which he won handily, and said he is still the best candidate to defeat former President Donald Trump.
The two-page letter concluded with a call for party unity and an end to public disagreement among Democrats over whether Biden should drop out of the race after his performance in a June 27 debate shook some senior Democrats’ confidence in his ability to overcome a poll deficit with Trump.
“The question of how to move forward has been widely debated for over a week,” Biden wrote. “And it’s time to end it. We have one job. And that’s defeating Donald Trump.”
Comer Wants to Interview Biden’s Doctor
Congress returns Monday from a weeklong recess for the July 4 holiday, following days in which members of both parties continued to press the issue of Biden’s fitness for office.
Republicans have also begun pushing for more details. House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer on Sunday they called for Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, to provide a transcript of an interview about his assessment of Biden and O’Connor’s business ties to James Biden, the president’s brother.
The Kentucky Republican said Biden and the White House have sent conflicting messages about the president’s recent medical tests.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters last week that Biden had not been seen by a doctor since a regular checkup in February.
However, that same day, Biden told a group of Democratic governors that he had “been examined by a doctor” after the debate, Comer wrote.
After the debate, Biden, trying to explain himself in a low, raspy voice, said he had a cool.
Comer also questioned whether O’Connor could have been correct in reporting on Biden’s health or whether he had a conflict of interest because of his involvement with James Biden’s rural health care company, Americore. James Biden testified before the committee that he had sought legal advice from O’Connor about the company.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Comer’s request.
More Democrats Call for Withdrawal
Over the holiday weekend, more U.S. House Democrats joined those calling for Biden to resign rather than seek reelection.
IN written statement on Saturday, Angie Craig of Minnesota became the first member from a competitive district to call on the president to drop out of the race. Craig is the fifth member to publicly call on the president to drop out.
According to media reports, additional members are making private calls.
The four Democrats who lead House committees — Jerry Nadler of New York on the Judiciary Committee, Adam Smith of Washington on the Armed Services Committee, Mark Takano of California on the Veterans Affairs Committee and Joe Morelle of New York on the House Administration Committee — said during a call Sunday with primary leaders that Biden should withdraw, according to reports.
Other accounts reported More members on the call, including Susan Wild of Pennsylvania and Jim Himes of Connecticut, also opposed continuing Biden’s candidacy. Wild later told the Pennsylvania Capital-Star that she expressed concerns about Biden’s electability.
In an off-the-cuff interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday, Biden reiterated his continued commitment to remaining in the race and urged all opponents to “challenge him” at the party’s convention in Chicago next month.
Biden, who secured the nomination by securing enough delegate support in primaries and party conventions, would be the clear favorite in a convention where the outcome will be disputed. Democratic Party Principles mandate delegates who made pledges “should in good faith reflect the views of those who elected them,” but are not legally obligated to vote at the convention for the candidate they pledged to vote for.
