Washington.- Facing what could be the most crucial week of his candidacy, President Biden on Monday made an aggressive attempt to dispel concerns that a wide range of Democrats have expressed about his reelection campaign.
By afternoon, he had called into MSNBC’s highly-rated “Morning Joe” show, sent a defiant letter to Democratic members of Congress and outlined his plan to attack former President Donald J. Trump during a call with his top fundraisers.
“If any of these guys don’t think I should run, let them run against me,” Biden said on “Morning Joe,” hitting back at his critics. “Go ahead and run for president. Challenge me at the convention.”
The offensive came as Biden faces declining support among Democratic lawmakers and growing fears of a defeat for Trump and his supporters in November’s White House and Congressional elections.
In his call to donors, the president suggested Democrats needed to refocus their attention on Trump. And he teased a strategic pivot for his campaign ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next week, saying he planned to “attack, attack, attack, attack.”
Here’s what else you need to know:
- A Parkinson’s expert repeatedly visited the White House. Dr. Kevin Cannard visited the White House eight times in eight months, from last summer through this spring, including at least once meeting with Mr. Biden’s doctor, according to official visit logs. It was unclear whether Dr. Cannard was at the White House to consult specifically about the president, and the White House press secretary on Monday declined to address the purpose of the visits. The White House has said Mr. Biden is showing no signs of the disease.
- NATO summit. Many Democrats are calling for an intensified campaign for Biden to prove his viability, but he will be busy this week organizing the 75th NATO summit in Washington. The three-day meeting, which begins Tuesday, comes at an inopportune time for Biden. His aides have promised an aggressive campaign agenda for the week of July 15.
- A rare news conference. Biden and his advisers have said he will hold a solo news conference with White House reporters, likely on Thursday, at the end of the NATO summit. While such conferences were common for past presidents, Biden has not maintained that tradition. His performance will come under scrutiny from Democrats, who are eager to gauge whether he can withstand the pressure of improvisation.
- Whitmer rules out running. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whose name has been floated as a possible contender for the Democratic nomination if Biden ends his campaign, said she would not run even if he dropped out, according to The Associated Press.
- More defections. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., has become the latest elected Democrat to publicly call on Biden to step aside. His statement came after he and several other top House Democrats said in a private meeting Sunday that Biden should end his campaign, continuing a trickle of defections that shows no signs of stopping. The other representatives were Jerrold Nadler of New York, Mark Takano of California and Joseph D. Morelle of New York. Read what Democratic politicians have said about Biden so far.
- The Veepstakes. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, a candidate to be Trump’s running mate, told NBC News on Sunday that he supported Trump’s promise to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Biden if he were re-elected. Another running mate hopeful, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, appeared on CNN and denied that Trump had urged using the Justice Department against his political opponents.
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