US President Joe Biden resumed his campaign efforts on Friday, aiming to assure voters and fellow Democrats of his capability to serve, following a significant news conference that didn't quell demands for his resignation.
"We've got to finish the job. And I promise you I am OK," the 81-year-old stated to supporters at a diner in Northville, Michigan, a crucial battleground state he needs to win in November to defeat Donald Trump.
Biden was to give a speech later in Detroit warning of the “nightmare” of a second Trump term under a hard-right manifesto that his campaign is pinning to the former president.
However, the calls from Democrats for Biden to step aside grew louder, with 19 lawmakers now openly urging him not to seek reelection after his disastrous debate performance against Trump on June 27.
The calls for Biden to step aside persisted, despite his defiant declaration during a high-stakes press conference at a NATO summit in Washington on Thursday that he would run for reelection and win.
A string of gaffes, including mistakenly referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump" and confusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, kept attention on concerns about his mental acuity.
“The president understands that there’s still some anxiety,” Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler told reporters traveling to Michigan with the president aboard Air Force One.
Tyler played down the verbal slip-ups, saying Biden has been known for making them throughout his long political career.
“Joe Biden has been making gaffes for 40 years, he made a couple of last night, he probably will continue to do so,” he said.
As the row sparked by the debate enters a third week, Biden has been making efforts to reach out to lawmakers, speaking by telephone to Latino and Asian members of the House of Representatives on Friday.
Meanwhile, Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, stated that he had met with Biden late Thursday following the press conference.
Jeffries mentioned that he "shared a wide range of insights, heartfelt perspectives, and conclusions about the path forward" but did not provide further details.
The campaign event in Detroit marks Biden's fourth visit to Michigan this year, a crucial state in the industrial "blue wall" along with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which were pivotal to his 2020 victory over his rival.
Biden's speech is anticipated to focus on "Project 2025," a power blueprint by hardline conservatives that Democrats claim the former president would implement, despite his denials.“Project 2025 is run and paid for by Trump people,” Biden was to say according to excerpts released by the campaign.
“And here is the nightmare it would unleash.”
The concerns over Biden are affecting Democratic donors, with Hollywood star and high-profile supporter George Clooney calling on Biden to step aside on Wednesday.
According to a report by the New York Times on Friday, several major donors have informed the largest Biden campaign fund that around $90 million in pledged donations will be withheld if he continues his campaign.
Trump, who mocked Biden on social media during the news conference, further commented on Friday that the Zelensky gaffe was "unpardonable."
But he added that Biden “shouldn’t allow complete losers like George Clooney, under the total auspices and control of Barack Hussein Obama, to push him out of office. That must be his decision, and his decision alone.”
Trump was referring to reports in US media that some in Biden’s camp believe former president Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president, is involved behind the scenes with the rebels.
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