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Biden campaigns in Pennsylvania as some Democrats urge him to consider stepping down

Biden campaigns in Pennsylvania as some Democrats urge him to consider stepping down

President Biden visits Mount Airy Church of God in Christ in Philadelphia on July 7 as he campaigns to save his reelection bid. Top Democrats gather to discuss the race.

President Biden visits Mount Airy Church of God in Christ in Philadelphia on July 7 as he campaigns to save his reelection bid. Top Democrats gather to discuss the race.

Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images / AFP

President Biden campaigned in the key swing state of Pennsylvania on Sunday as he tries to resurrect his reelection bid, even as some Democrats spoke out on television saying he should seriously consider dropping out of the race.

Biden, 81, said “the Lord Almighty” could convince him to withdraw from his campaign for a second term after he faltered badly in a debate with former President Donald Trump — a performance that alarmed Democrats worried he no longer has what it takes to run, win and govern.

He tried to make the case that his debate blunder was just a bad night and not a sign of something bigger. He attended Sunday services at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ, where a praise group sang the song “I Need You to Survive” and Bishop J. Louis Felton gave a call and response for Biden and called for unity.

“Forgive us for allowing the enemy to drive a wedge between us,” Felton prayed. “For if we ever come together and unite, there will be no election we cannot win.”

President Biden raises his arms in praise during a service at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ in Philadelphia on July 7, 2024.

President Biden raises his arms in praise during a service at Mount Airy Church of God in Christ in Philadelphia on July 7, 2024.

Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images / AFP

House Democrats meet Sunday, some going on television to voice their concerns

House Democratic leaders convened a virtual meeting Sunday with top Democrats on House committees. Some of them appeared on Sunday morning political talk shows, reflecting the diversity of views within the party on whether Biden should remain at the top of the ticket.

California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said he wants Biden to “look for people with some distance and objectivity” as he considers his decision. He noted that an ABC interview Biden gave Friday “didn’t allay concerns” about his candidacy — particularly Biden’s assertion that even if he loses to Trump in November, what matters most is that he gives it his all.

“It’s not just a question of whether he did his best in college, but rather whether he made the right decision to run or pass the torch,” Schiff told NBC. Meet the pressHe also said he believes Vice President Harris could beat Trump if Biden decides to step down.

But Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, said she heard from voters during the Independence Day recess that Biden should stay in office. “I’ve had people in the parades yelling at me, ‘Tell him to stay, we support him,’” she told CNN. State of the Union“I really think that even though you hear a lot of different opinions from other people, that’s what’s happening,” she said.

Related: US Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez: ‘Biden is going to lose to Trump’

California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla said he spoke with Biden on Saturday. The president discussed what he sees in internal polling data and his plans for the days ahead. “He’s as motivated and eager as I’ve seen him to make sure he takes this campaign seriously,” Padilla told MSNBC.

Biden faces a critical week in Washington, as his party’s lawmakers return to Congress — and world leaders descend on the city for a NATO summit, where Biden is expected to give a rare solo news conference, where he will face more questions about his age and abilities.

On Friday, Biden will travel to Michigan to campaign, visiting the third “blue wall” state in a week, following Pennsylvania on Sunday and Wisconsin on Friday.

Rick Pluta of the Michigan Public Radio Network contributed to this article.

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