President Joe Biden said on July 19 that he will resume campaigning next week after he tested positive for COVID-19 two days prior, forcing him to cancel all planned events.
“I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America: one where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms, and create opportunity for everyone,” the president said in a statement issued by his campaign.
“The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win,” he added.
President Biden has faced calls from several dozen Democratic lawmakers to step down as the party nominee after a scrutinized debate performance with former President Donald Trump on June 27. The president said he had had a “terrible night” and was underprepared but committed to staying in the race.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters this morning in Brooklyn that his position on the Democratic ticket has not changed. The congressman supports President Biden on the Democratic ticket.
“He’s one of the most accomplished American presidents in our history,” Mr. Jeffries said.
“He has the vision … and the track record to make a case to the American people that will result in us being successful in November.”
One of the recent calls asking the president to step down came from Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), the state’s senior senator in a competitive race, who said in a July 18 statement that President Biden should step down as nominee.
Mr. Tester expressed appreciation for the president’s “commitment to public service and our country” but believes “President Biden should not seek re-election to another term.”
He joined Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who’s running for California’s open Senate seat. Mr. Schiff urged the president to pass the torch to another candidate to “secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.”
Mr. Tester became the second U.S. senator after Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) to reject the president’s reelection bid. Mr. Welch, in an op-ed for The Washington Post, wrote, “For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.”
Many of the lawmakers, who had publicly stated they believe President Biden should not seek reelection, face tough elections this year in competitive swing states or districts.
On July 17, President Biden abruptly canceled his events in Las Vegas, Nevada, after it was announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor issued a letter on Friday, with an update about the president’s condition, saying that after completing a fourth dose of PAXLOVID, the president’s “loose, nonproductive cough and hoarseness continue to be his primary symptoms, but they have improved meaningfully.” He wrote that his blood pressure, blood work and other tests are normal and that the president is continuing to work.
Some media reports, citing anonymous sources close to the president, suggested that he was becoming receptive to the calls from other Democratic elites to pass the torch to another candidate. Campaign officials, however, rejected those rumors, including T.J. Ducklo, senior adviser for communications, who called the reports “baseless conjecture from anonymous sources” in a July 18 post on X.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), the president’s longtime ally and a co-chair of Biden’s 2024 campaign, said he continues to support the Democratic incumbent.
“I fully support the President. He’s told me he’s in it to win it,” Mr. Coons stated on July 19 on X. “I’m with him 100% because I know he can beat Trump just like he did last time.”
In an interview with MSNBC on July 19, campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon also responded to media reports.
President Biden “is more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump. And we believe in this campaign. We are built for the close election we are in. And we see the path forward,” Ms. Dillon said.
President Biden gave a sit-down interview with Ed Gordon of BET News on July 16. During the interview, the president said there is more work to be done in a second administration.
“The only thing age brings is a little bit of wisdom. And I think I’ve demonstrated I know how to get things done for the country,” he said.
“But there’s more to do, and I’m reluctant to walk away from that.”
During a July 17 radio interview with Univision that was broadcast a day later, President Biden expressed frustration with the media, particularly political reporters. He suggested that his campaign would try to “expose some of the outrageous things that are being said and done,” including the speculation about his candidacy.
Meanwhile, the Democratic National Convention Rules Committee reportedly held a virtual meeting on Friday to discuss the details of the virtual roll call vote. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) intends to hold a virtual vote to nominate President Biden ahead of the convention, but the vote won’t take place before Aug. 1, according to the DNC.
