July 8 (UPI) — President Joe Biden said that he is not stepping down as the Democratic nominee in a letter to congressional Democrats on Monday.
“I want you to know that despite all the speculation and press elsewhere I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race and to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” Biden wrote in the letter, obtained by The New York Times and other outlets.
Biden called for the Democratic Party to unite behind him as he campaigns for re-election, highlighting his performance in the nominating process.
A majority of primary voters cast ballots for the president in the spring, setting him up to be officially nominated at the Democratic National Convention beginning on Aug. 19.
“The voters — and the voters alone — decide the nominee of the Democratic Party,” Biden wrote. “How can we stand for democracy in our nation if we ignore it in our own party? I cannot do that. I will not do that.”
The president has faced calls to step aside following his performance in the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump last month.
“I can respond to all this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024,” Biden wrote.
Biden’s campaign and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said after the debate that Biden had a cold. During the debate his voice was hoarse and he appeared lethargic. He tested negative for COVID-19 before taking the stage in Atlanta.
Concerns about Biden’s debate performance overshadowed that of former President Donald Trump, who shared dozens of falsehoods and signaled the return of immigration policies that have been considered inhumane. Trump also indicated he would end support for Ukraine against the invasion by Russia.
Biden wrote that he has “heard the concerns” and is “not blind to them.”
“Believe me, I know better than anyone the responsibility and the burden the nominee of our party carries,” he wrote.
Biden contrasted his policies and plans for a second term with Trump’s as he warned of Trump’s loyalty to the oil industry and plans to further restrict the reproductive rights of women.
Biden said he would again make the Roe vs. Wade decision “the law of the land” if Democrats win majorities in the House and Senate and he is re-elected. He also evoked the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, saying Trump can never be allowed near the office of the president again.
“The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end,” Biden wrote. “We have one job. And that is to beat Donald Trump.”