President Joe Biden issued a call on Monday to Democratic lawmakers to quell the debate surrounding his reelection bid following a challenging debate performance. In a letter to them, he affirmed his commitment to remain in the race despite increasing calls for him to step aside.
The Democratic Party faced internal discord as four senior members of the House of Representatives, including Jerry Nadler and Adam Smith, joined others in questioning Biden's candidacy, bringing the total dissenting voices to nine.
Later in the day, Senate Democrats convened to discuss Biden's candidacy, responding to a call from Mark Warner. Meanwhile, NATO leaders gathered in Washington DC for their annual summit, keeping a close watch on Biden's domestic challenges as they addressed global threats from Russia, China, and Iran.
The party's internal turmoil, sparked by Biden's lackluster performance in the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump, continued into its second week. Some Democrats not only questioned Biden's ability to defeat Trump but also his capacity to govern for another four years if reelected, leading to calls for a younger and healthier alternative such as Vice President Kamala Harris.
Despite mounting pressure, Biden reiterated his determination to stay in the race and defeat Trump.
"Despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump," he wrote in the letter. Biden wrote in his letter.
He challenged party elites advocating for his replacement to contest against him at the convention in Chicago.
Biden reminded lawmakers that he secured the party's nomination with overwhelming support from voters, garnering 14 million votes and the backing of nearly 3,000 delegates. He underscored the democratic nature of the nomination process and refused to disregard the voice of the voters.
"The voters of the Democratic Party have spoken. They have chosen me to be the nominee," Biden emphasized. "Do we now dismiss their decision? I decline to do so."
This version maintains the original quotations while presenting the rest of the information in a rephrased and unique manner.
"This was a process open to anyone who wanted to run. Only three people chose to challenge me. One fared so badly that he left the primaries to run as an independent. Another attacked me for being too old and was soundly defeated. The voters of the Democratic Party have voted. They have chosen me to be the nominee of the party," he wrote.
"Do we now just say this process didn't matter? That the voters don't have a say? I decline to do that."
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