Still, some Democrats were unconvinced by his performance.
Shortly after the briefing, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called on Biden to end his campaign, saying the president’s legacy of “unparalleled public service, undeniable achievement and unconditional patriotism” would be at risk if he did not step aside.
“The 2024 election will determine the future of American democracy, and we must put forward the strongest candidate possible to counter the threat of MAGA authoritarianism promised by Trump,” Himes said. “I no longer believe that is Joe Biden, and I hope that he will continue to put our country first, as he has done throughout his career of public service, and make way for a new generation of leaders, as he has promised.”
Democratic Rep. Eric Sorensen, running in the hotly contested state of Illinois, said he was “hopeful” Biden would “put country over party” and step away from the presidential campaign.
And Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), who told reporters on Tuesday that he thought Biden “deserves to be re-elected,” said in a statement obtained first by Politico that the American people owe Biden “a great debt for saving us from a second term for President Trump in 2020,” but that the president should now withdraw from the campaign because “the stakes are high and we are headed for a loss.”
As of Thursday night, 20 Democrats have publicly or privately called on Biden to step down since his poor performance in the debate two weeks ago, fearful of losing the White House to former President Donald Trump and jeopardizing the party’s advances in the House and Senate.
At the press conference, Biden told reporters he wasn’t running to defend his legacy, but to “finish the job I started.” While making his case, he acknowledged he must convince the American people, as well as members of his own party, that he can win the election.
“I’m determined to run, but I also think it’s important to ease some of the fears,” Biden said.
While Biden’s performance on Thursday may have alienated some, other Democrats doubled down on their support for the president, many of them in safe districts where their personal reelection hopes are all but certain.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) told CNN after the news conference that he believed Biden “convinced a lot of people that he should continue the campaign,” and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said Biden demonstrated “how a world leader with a firm grip on the helm of the ship of nations manages the country, U.S. national security interests and the opposition.”
“Good luck, Joe!” Rep. Nikema Williams, chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, posted on X.
Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania, said Biden “has once again demonstrated that he knows a million times more about policy than a con man with a criminal record.”
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), who lost the Houston mayoral election and is seeking reelection, said Biden’s “press conference was a great success.”
And no senators immediately called on Biden to resign after the news conference.
“President Biden tonight was knowledgeable, engaging and effective,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware), co-chairman of Biden’s reelection campaign. “He demonstrated a depth of insight on foreign policy that we’ve never seen, and never will see, from Donald Trump. No one is more prepared to lead our country forward than Joe Biden.”
Theodoric Meyer contributed to this report.
