WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to stay in the presidential race on Monday, saying he is confident the average voter still wants him on the Democratic ticket.
“I am not going anywhere,” Biden told MSNBC after calling into the network’s Morning Joe program. He urged anyone who wants him to step aside to “challenge me” when the Democratic National Convention meets in August.
The interview was another example of Biden trying to recover from a shaky debate outing against Republican Donald Trump on June 27 that raised questions about his mental fitness.
Biden expressed frustration with what he called an effort by “elites” to force him out of the presidential race against Trump, whom he defeated in 2020, with the election coming up on Nov. 5.
When Morning Joe cohost Mika Brzezinski ticked off a list of major news organizations and pundits who have called on him to step aside, Biden brushed off the question.
“I don’t care what those big names think,” Biden said.
“The bottom line here is that I’m not going anywhere. I am not going anywhere. I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t absolutely believe that I am the best candidate to beat Donald Trump in 2024.”
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Katharine Jackson, Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Nandita Bose; editing by Rami Ayyub and Howard Goller)
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