Washington DC [US], July 8: President Joe Biden returned to the campaign trail yesterday (July 7) in an effort to salvage his re-election campaign after a series of storms since the debate with opponent Donald Trump.
According to AFP, the leader will start a busy week with two rallies in the battleground state of Pennsylvania before hosting the NATO summit in Washington DC from July 9-11. Signs of Mr. Biden's health and age problems were evident during the debate, but so far, the 82-year-old president has insisted that he is the only one who can defeat Mr. Trump. "I beat Mr. Trump in 2020 and I will beat him again in 2024," the Democratic candidate declared on social media yesterday.
The Democratic Party's dilemma
On July 5, President Biden had an interview with ABC News to prove that his performance in last week's debate was just a mistake and to quell doubts about his position as the Democratic candidate.
But the interview did little to ease the crisis that has engulfed his campaign, observers say. Five Democratic congressmen and several donors have publicly called on President Biden to drop out of the race. "Given what I heard from the president at the debate in Atlanta last week, and the lack of a strong response from him afterward, I don't believe the president can campaign effectively and defeat Donald Trump," Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota said after the ABC News interview aired.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Mark Warner are expected to hold separate meetings with their colleagues to discuss what to do next. So far, the Democratic heavyweights have tried not to publicly express their displeasure with the White House leader. But with just four months to go until the election, Democrats are in a difficult position and will need to act soon if they decide to replace their nominee. "Every day that Biden delays makes it harder to find someone new to beat Donald Trump," Rep. Lloyd Doggett told CNN.
Allies worried
The concern is not only from Democrats but also from America's NATO allies, who fear that Mr Trump's return will damage relations and cripple efforts to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Mr Trump has long criticized NATO for not sharing the burden with the US and has vowed to end the fighting in Ukraine within 24 hours, raising concerns that he could force Kyiv to make concessions in order to negotiate.
US media reports that diplomats and world leaders attending the NATO summit are privately expressing concerns about President Biden's age, health and ability to win the election. Most foreign officials who support Biden's re-election expressed disappointment and fear after the debate that the leader may not be strong enough to defeat Trump and lead the world's superpower.
European officials are quietly but firmly arguing that President Biden should give the better candidate a chance to defeat his Republican rival and maintain alliance unity on Ukraine and NATO, Bloomberg reported. All eyes will be on Biden at the upcoming summit, where any slip-ups could be exposed and increase pressure on the leader.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper