Following the U.S. presidential debate, President Joe Biden, who is facing calls for his withdrawal from the race, declared, “I will continue to campaign and will beat Trump.” He refused demands from both within and outside the Democratic Party for his withdrawal from the presidential race. However, Biden’s verbal gaffes continue, and the voices calling for his withdrawal are growing louder.
During a campaign event in Madison, Wisconsin on the afternoon of July 5, Biden expressed his confidence, stating, “I will run in the election and win again.”
The campaign event took place in a middle school auditorium that could accommodate about 500 people. Both Biden and the attendees showed more energy and enthusiasm than usual.
Biden expressed concern that if former President Donald Trump returns to power, not only will American democracy retreat, but also voting rights, economic fairness, abortion, and gun regulations will all decline. He emphasized, “Let’s stand together, win this election, and exile Donald Trump politically.”
Dressed without a tie, Biden exhibited a more active demeanor than usual, exchanging fist bumps with supporters and taking selfies even after his speech. He even lightly ran towards the center of the stage after greeting the attendees.
Biden plans to dispel concerns about age risk and break through the call for candidate replacement by fulfilling his schedule at the NATO summit.
However, in an interview with Philadelphia radio station WURD on July 4, Biden mistakenly referred to himself as “the first black woman who worked for a black president.”
This slip-up occurred while he was repeatedly expressing pride in having served as vice president under Barack Obama. It is presumed that he confused himself with Vice President Kamala Harris, the first black female vice president in the U.S., and his role as vice president under Obama.
On the same day, during a speech for military families at the White House commemorating Independence Day, Biden also stumbled over his words when mentioning Trump.
During his speech, Biden referred to Trump as “one of our colleagues, the former president,” then abruptly switched topics, saying, “probably shouldn’t say, at any rate.”
As a result, three members of the House of Representatives have already publicly called for his non-participation in the election, and there are ongoing movements within the party calling for his resignation, both directly and indirectly.
Maura Healey, the Governor of Massachusetts, issued a statement claiming that Biden’s political standing is irrecoverable. Senator Mark Warner (Virginia) is also gathering senators’ opinions to call for Biden’s resignation from the candidacy.
