President Biden is breaking his silence after multiple reports this morning claimed that he was thinking about removing himself from the presidential race.
According to an exclusive report from the New York Times, President Biden allegedly confided in a close supporter that he acknowledges the possibility of not being able to save his campaign if he fails to persuade the public in the next few days that he is capable of the role following his performance during the presidential debate last week.
Despite those reports making headlines, during a conference call with campaign workers, Biden assured everyone that he has no intentions of dropping out of the race. “Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straight forward as I can: I am running,” according to one campaign official on the call. “No one is pushing me out,” the president added, also saying, “I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end, and we’re going to win.” Shortly after, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre echoed Biden’s statements during a press conference, affirming to journalists that the president has no intention of resigning.
On the campaign call, Biden also called for his party to stick together as they head into the fall, telling staffers that, “when Democrats unite, we will always win. Just as we beat Donald Trump in 2020, w’re going to beat him again in 2024.”
The conference call was arranged by Biden’s campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez, with both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in attendance, as per an insider.
Harris expressed her full support for Biden during the call, affirming, “We are fully committed to Biden. We will not retreat. We will follow the president’s guidance. We will persevere, and we will emerge victorious.”
The campaign-wide meeting was described as a brief gathering for all staff members to touch base as a united team by O’Malley Dillon and Chávez Rodriguez.