Joe Biden Announces He Will Remain in the Presidential Race

Following reports of a majority of Democratic Party members wanting Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race and his own doubts, the U.S. President stated he has no intention of stepping down. According to Reuters and the Associated Press, Mr. Biden, who will compete against Donald Trump for re-election this November, emphasized in a conversation with his campaign members on Wednesday that he will continue to participate in the elections, stating, "I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out." Internal party criticisms have intensified following his weak performance in the first debate against Donald Trump, which he has acknowledged. Furthermore, the New York Times reported on Wednesday that Mr. Biden told a "key ally" he is considering whether to continue in the presidential race. However, the White House dismissed this report as "completely inaccurate." The New York Times, citing an unnamed ally of the President, noted that Joe Biden "knows that if two similar events occur, the situation will be different," referring to his weaknesses and instability during the debate with Donald Trump. CNN also reported that another close associate of the President stated that Joe Biden is "not oblivious" to his declining poll numbers and the doubts of his campaign's financial backers. In response to these reports, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House spokesperson, emphasized in discussions with reporters that Mr. Biden "will definitely not" withdraw from the race and will continue his campaign. Sources within the White House separately told the media that the U.S. President privately spoke with senior Democratic Party members, including the Senate Majority Leader, the House Minority Leader, and influential senators on Tuesday and Wednesday. Earlier, Reuters reported that one in three Democrats wants Joe Biden to withdraw from the elections and be replaced by another candidate. The report added that Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House from the Democratic Party, has also expressed concern over Biden's weak performance in the debate, and 25 Democratic representatives are preparing to formally request Mr. Biden to withdraw from the elections. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris, Biden's Vice President, responded to these statements in an interview with CBS, saying, "Biden is our representative; we defeated Trump once, and we will defeat him again."