PHILADELPHIA \u2014 President Biden on Sunday basked in warm applause of a Black congregation in Philadelphia, drawing support from a sanctuary of Black worshipers at a time of tumult and peril for his reelection efforts.<\/p>\n
Biden attended a service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ in Philadelphia, in a swing state that will serve as a critical proving ground for his campaign reboot. Biden and his aides have insisted that he will not step aside as the Democratic nominee, ignoring a growing number of calls from Democrats for him to bow out after his halting debate performance.<\/p>\n
Black voters have been a bedrock of political support for Biden throughout his presidential campaigns. He greeted the congregation by stating: \u201cIt\u2019s good to be home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all imperfect beings,\u201d Biden said in brief remarks. \u201cWe don\u2019t know where or what fate will deliver us to or when. But we do know is that we can seek a life of light, hope, love and truth no matter what. We can seek that life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to work together,\u201d the president added. \u201cBecause when we do, you can\u2019t stop us.\u201d<\/p>\n
As he finished his remarks, the crowd chanted: \u201cFour more years! Four more years!\u201d<\/p>\n
In recent days, even as party leaders express private concerns and a growing number of elected officials publicly call on him to drop out, it has been the Black community that has backed Biden most strenuously. From the start of the service, Pastor Louis Felton was emphatic in his support for Biden, urging worshipers to stand and shout, \u201cWe love you, President Biden!\u201d<\/p>\n
Biden stood and raised his hands during songs, and linked arms with the pastor next to him during prayer. Felton made a point of noting that the president was sitting next to a 91-year-old bishop, the founder of the church, Ernest C. Morris Sr.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t let anyone talk about your age. You\u2019re a young whippersnapper,\u201d Felton proclaimed.<\/p>\n
The pastor also drew a clear contrast between Biden\u2019s actions and a religious tie-in Donald Trump started in March, when he began selling a $60 Bible. \u201cThis president doesn\u2019t sell the Bible. He actually reads the Bible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amid rising unease among Democratic members of Congress and governors \u2014 who have largely remained publicly loyal to Biden \u2014 the president\u2019s campaign aides scrambled to schedule Sunday\u2019s events to show Biden\u2019s vigor and his intention to forcefully confront Trump.<\/p>\n
Earlier Sunday, Biden greeted Democratic Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman when he arrived in Pennsylvania. He spoke with each briefly, tapping Fetterman\u2019s chest with his fist.<\/p>\n
Later Sunday, Biden will travel to Harrisburg for a community organizing event with union members and local Democrats. Throughout the day, the president is expected to be joined by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis.<\/p>\n
The appearances with the state\u2019s two senators \u2014 and a later one with Shapiro, a rising Democratic star \u2014 are part of the campaign\u2019s carefully orchestrated tableau to show that key figures in the party are standing behind the president. Biden\u2019s 22-minute interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, which aired Friday night, did little to change the restive mood of members of his party at a moment when he is sliding further behind in the polls and a majority of Americans say he is no longer fit to hold office.<\/p>\n
Five congressional Democrats have called on Biden to drop out of the race, and at least 17 current and former top Democrats as of Saturday have publicly raised concerns about his fitness for office and his ability to defeat Trump. The latest to urge Biden to seek advice beyond his inner circle was Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who is running for the Senate seat of the late Dianne Feinstein.<\/p>\n
In a Sunday interview with NBC\u2019s \u201cMeet the Press,\u201d Schiff said Biden\u2019s debate performance \u201crightfully raised questions among the American people about whether the president has the vigor\u201d to defeat Trump, adding his view that Biden \u201cshould be mopping the floor\u201d with Trump.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoe Biden is running against a criminal. It should not be even close, and there\u2019s only one reason it is close, and that\u2019s the president\u2019s age,\u201d Schiff said. \u201cHe\u2019s obviously talked to his family about this, and that\u2019s important. But he should seek out people with some distance and objectivity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schiff said Biden should be contemplating \u201cwhether he made the right decision to run or to pass the torch. That is the most important decision for him to make right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a close ally of Biden, said on CNN\u2019s \u201cState of the Union\u201d that the president would have to assuage voters\u2019 concerns by showing them \u201cwhether this is still the old Joe Biden.\u201d He did not directly answer a question about whether Biden should be his party\u2019s nominee.<\/p>\n
\u201cI support Joe Biden. Period, stop,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cBut I know that there are a lot of voters out there that need to be convinced that Thursday night\u2019s debate performance was a bad night. \u2026 Ultimately, I\u2019m supporting Joe Biden. I\u2019m going to vote for Joe Biden. But the president needs millions of votes.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Friday, Biden repeatedly rebuffed questions from Stephanopoulos about whether he would undergo an independent medical evaluation that included neurological and cognitive tests, insisting that he gets \u201ca full neurological test every day\u201d simply by carrying out his presidential duties. Schiff said both Trump and Biden should undergo cognitive tests.<\/p>\n
The next few days will be pivotal in determining whether Biden can maintain the confidence of his party as he and his campaign aides insist that his debate performance was an aberration rather than evidence of cognitive decline.<\/p>\n
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has scheduled a call Sunday afternoon with top House Democrats, in part to field concerns from members who are worried about the drag that Biden\u2019s candidacy could have on down-ballot races.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers are returning to Washington on Monday, gathering for the first time after the Fourth of July holiday as they weigh whether the party can prevail in the critical battle for control of the House and Senate in November with Biden as the Democratic Party\u2019s nominee. Biden plans to return to the White House on Sunday night, ahead of this week\u2019s NATO summit in Washington. On Thursday, he is planning to hold a rare solo news conference.<\/p>\n
Biden\u2019s campaign has also added a trip Friday to Michigan, according to a person familiar with the schedule, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss events that had not yet been made public. It will be the third battleground state he has visited in a week.<\/p>\n
First lady Jill Biden, who has been a constant presence on the campaign trail since the debate, is planning a three-city campaign swing Monday to Tampa; Wilmington, N.C.; and Columbus, Ga.<\/p>\n
Reston reported from Washington. Azi Paybarah and Joby Warrick in Washington contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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