US President Joe Biden, facing harsh criticism about his stamina and mental strength after his poor debate performances, tried to speak loudly and passionately in a brief speech from the White House.
Biden has repeatedly said he will not withdraw from the US presidential race despite growing calls for him to do so following his first debate with former President Donald Trump, whom he defeated in 2020.
In the latest blow, Walt Disney’s granddaughter Abigail Disney will stop donating to the Democratic Party until Biden withdraws from the race, the heir told CNBC.
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Vice President Kamala Harris is the front-runner to run in his place in the Nov. 5 election if Biden withdraws, according to sources, but Biden’s allies believe he can ease the concerns of voters and donors.
President Biden hosted the White House’s annual Fourth of July Independence Day celebration on Thursday, hosting thousands of active-duty military members and their families for a barbecue.
![Democratic donor Abigail Disney is refusing to hand over any more donations to President Joe Biden until he proves he can do his job.](https://images.7news.com.au/publication/C-15248085/724c17d167fc00872346627ca57f3ca618676356.jpg)
Biden delivered his brief remarks reading from a teleprompter and made no major errors, but at one point he appeared to go off script, referring to a war cemetery that Trump refused to visit while in office.
He gave an interview to ABC News on Friday and is scheduled to travel to Wisconsin for a campaign rally later the same day.
Dozens of House Democrats are watching closely and are prepared to call for Biden to resign if he makes any gaffes in the ABC interview, a source told Reuters.
Democrats see it as crucial that they take control of the House in November because it could be their final power grab in Washington if President Trump returns to the White House and Republicans take control of the Senate.
Biden faces a new reality since last week’s debate: Even if he doesn’t falter verbally or physically, serious concerns about his viability as a candidate are likely to remain. If he stumbles or appears disoriented or confused, he will face renewed pressure to walk out.
If Biden is re-elected, he will be 86 at the end of his second term. Former supporters of Biden have urged him to step down to protect his legacy and reduce Trump’s chances of reelection. With just four months until the election, they say, he needs to make a decision quickly.
Democrats, including key allies, are leaving open the possibility of placing Harris at the top of the Democratic field.
The White House has repeatedly said the president was suffering from a cold and jet lag on the night of the debate. On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had not had any medical check-ups since his annual physical in February.
“He didn’t see a doctor. It’s a cold, guys. It’s a cold,” she told a news conference.
But spokesman Andrew Bates said Thursday that Biden had sought medical attention after the debate.
“A few days later, the president was taken to hospital to be checked over for a cold and appeared to be recovering well,” he said.
Trump, 78, who made a number of false statements on stage at the debate in Atlanta, falsely claimed in a video circulated on social media that he had thrown Biden out of the race.
He made derogatory comments about Harris in the same video, which was endorsed by the Trump campaign.
On Sunday, Biden and his wife, Jill, are scheduled to address a crowd of thousands at the National Education Association in Pennsylvania, and next week he will host dozens of world leaders at a NATO summit in Washington where he will hold a rare solo news conference.