Biden says ‘the voters have spoken’, refuses to consider resigning in letter to congressional Democrats

Sign up for the Inside Washington daily email for exclusive U.S. coverage and analysis delivered to your inbox.

Get our Inside Washington email for free

President Joe Biden is trying to avoid discussions about whether he should step aside because of questions about his age and abilities by sending a defiant letter to congressional Democrats in which he says dropping out of the race would be an affront to democracy.

Biden’s missive, which he posted on his X account (formerly Twitter) on Monday before Congress returned to Washington, opens with a declaration that he is “firmly committed” to remaining a candidate in this year’s presidential election and “fighting this race to the end and defeating Donald Trump.”

The president also said he had had what he described as “extensive conversations” with party leaders, elected officials and rank-and-file Democrats in Congress in the 10-plus days since his empty, disjointed performance in his first debate with Trump left members of his party shocked and frightened by the possibility that the 81-year-old president — the oldest to ever serve — was not up to the task of campaigning for a second term.

More to follow…