Michigan, President Biden says he won't leave

2024-07-13 15:09:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Michigan, President Biden says he won't leave

During a rally in Detroit, Michigan, July 12, 2024. (photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)

DETROID - In an effort to reinvigorate his election campaign, President Joe Biden spoke before a rally in Detroit. He told an enthusiastic crowd that he would not drop out of the race and warned that former President Donald Trump represents a serious danger.

President Biden, at 81, is trying to shift the public discourse from the question of his mental acuity to the impact a second Trump presidency would have as his campaign struggles after his poor showing in the June 27 presidential debate.

"I'm running and we're going to win," he told a crowd that held signs like, "Don't Quit!"

"I am the candidate", he said. "I will not go anywhere".

"The time has come to stop treating politics like it's a TV show," said President Biden. He warned that Project 2025, a conservative policy platform that would seek to further shrink the federal government, posed a "very real risk."

Earlier on Friday, President Biden made an unannounced stop at a restaurant in a Detroit suburb, where he told customers he planned to "finish the job" and told them "I promise you ... I'm fine."

As the presidential plane Air Force One flew into Detroit, campaign spokesman Michael Tyler told reporters that financial contributions "exploded" during President Biden's press conference Thursday evening, to seven times the usual level.

President Biden also received support earlier in the day when two Democratic officials — lawmaker James Clyburn and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — said he should stay in the race. On Friday afternoon, United Auto Workers union president Shawn Fain, who had previously said he was concerned about President Biden's chances, praised the president for standing "with the working class," without using his name.

But there were signs his support was waning elsewhere, as two other lawmakers called on him to withdraw from the race.

"It's time to move forward. With a new leader," Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., said in a statement. Mr. Levin, like many who have called on President Biden to step down, faces an uphill battle for re-election this year.

Since the presidential debate, at least 19 lawmakers have asked President Biden to step down so the Democratic Party can choose another candidate. Some donors, Hollywood stars, activist groups and the media have also requested the same.

However, President Biden continues to have support from key officials in the party and has pledged to run in the November 5 election./VOA