Democratic Party lawmakers have met privately to discuss US President Joe Biden's crisis-hit re-election bid as questions continue to emerge around the president's physical and mental fitness.
Tuesday's closed-door talks highlighted ongoing divisions within the party over Biden's electability following his disastrous performance in last month's debate against Republican rival Donald Trump.
Addressing reporters before and after the meeting, leading Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, reiterated their support for Biden.
“I'm with Joe,” Schumer said repeatedly in response to questions about Biden's suitability for office.
“We're with Biden,” Jim Clyburn of South Carolina told reporters.
While the talks appeared to end the possibility of a mass revolt against Biden's candidacy, at least for now, they failed to present a united front.
Illinois' Dick Durbin said it “remains to be seen” whether Biden will remain on the ticket.
Asked if Democrats were all on the same page, Tennessee's Steve Cohen said, “We're not even in the same book.”
Hours after the talks, New Jersey Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill became the seventh elected Democrat to publicly call on Biden to drop out of the race.
“I know that President Biden and his team have been true public servants and have put the country and the best interests of democracy first in their considerations,” Sherrill said in a statement.
“And because I know President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country, I ask him to declare that he will not seek reelection and to help us lead the process toward a new nominee.”
While she stopped short of calling for Biden to step aside, House Representative Lori Trahan of Massachusetts said “nothing that has happened in the last 12 days suggests” that voters view Biden as the best candidate to beat Trump.
“A second Trump presidency will cause irreparable harm to women and our country, and President Biden must act urgently to restore Americans’ trust so we can win in November,” Trahan said in a statement.
Biden, 81, has struggled to build support within his party since his shaky performance in the Jan. 27 debate revived longstanding concerns about his age and health.
On Monday, Biden said in a letter to congressional Democrats that he is “firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the finish, and to beating Donald Trump.”
“I have heard people’s concerns, their fears and their good-faith concerns about what is at stake in this election,” Biden said.
“I can answer all of this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I would not run for office again if I did not absolutely believe that I was the best person to defeat Donald Trump in 2024.”
Biden faces a tough road to re-election, with recent opinion polls suggesting Trump is ahead both nationally and in the battleground states that will decide the outcome.
On Tuesday, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report changed Arizona, Georgia and Nevada from “swing states” to “Republican-leaning states.”
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week, 59 percent of registered Democratic voters said Biden is too old for office, while one in three said he should drop out of the race.
If Biden were to step aside, the race would enter uncharted territory.
The U.S. presidential primary season, when party members typically vote for their preferred candidate, is over, although the party's nominee will not be decided until the Democratic National Convention next month.
Since Biden won nearly all of the party's delegates, it is unlikely he will be forced to step aside against his will.
Vice President Kamala Harris has been widely seen as the most likely replacement for Biden if he were to withdraw, though she has not fared much better against Trump in the polls.
