Washington [US], July 13: President Joe Biden sought to revive his struggling reelection campaign on Friday, flying to Detroit for a rally where the 81-year-old hoped to shift the conversation from his mental sharpness to the dangers of Republican rival Donald Trump.
As Air Force One flew to the Motor City, campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler told reporters that donations "exploded" during Biden's Thursday night press conference to seven times the usual level.
Biden got a boost earlier in the day when two prominent Democrats - Representative James Clyburn and California Governor Gavin Newsom - said he should stay in the race.
But there were signs that his support was weakening elsewhere, as two more lawmakers called on him to drop out.
"It is time to move forward. With a new leader," Representative Mike Levin said in a statement. Levin, like many others who have called on Biden to drop out, faces a competitive re-election battle of his own this year.
At least 19 lawmakers have urged him to step aside so the party can pick another candidate following his halting June 27 debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump.
The Sunrise Movement, an environmental group, also called on him to end his campaign, citing low enthusiasm for his campaign among young voters.
Biden has repeatedly said he intends to remain his party's standard bearer, and he retains support from key figures in the party.
"I'm riding with Biden no matter which direction he goes," Clyburn said on NBC's "Today" program. Newsom likewise said he was sticking with Biden in an interview excerpt released by CBS.
Clyburn, 83, is a respected voice among Black Americans whose support is essential to Biden's 2024 campaign, while Newsom, 56, is one of several younger governors who are widely seen as the future of the party.
Democrats are worried that Biden's low approval ratings and growing concerns that he is too old for the job could cause them to lose seats in the House and Senate, leaving them with no grip on power in Washington should Trump win the White House.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation