Biden won't abandon campaign, but Democrats uncertain about his prospects

By Makini Brice and Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden vowed to push on with his reelection bid on Monday, dismissing the concerns of some fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill and donors that his persistence could cost their party the White House and Congress in the Nov. 5 U.S. election.

Biden, 81, said any candidates who doubt his ability should challenge him at the Democratic National Convention in August - an effort that stands no chance of success unless he lets the delegates he won in primaries this year consider other candidates.

"The bottom line here is that I am not going anywhere," Biden said in a phone call he placed to MSNBC's Morning Joe program. He repeated that message to donors on a private call later in the day, according to a source on the call.

Biden faces a critical week as he tries to shore up a campaign that has been on defense since a shaky June 27 debate against Republican Donald Trump, which raised questions about his ability to do the job for another 4-1/2 years. Several congressional Democrats have called for him to drop out.

Senator Dick Durbin, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, told reporters Biden's candidacy "will be thoroughly discussed this week, as it should." He said he had spoken with about a dozen of his colleagues, who held a range of views.

A growing number of Democratic lawmakers have voiced concern that Biden's poor public approval ratings, plus concerns about his age and ability, could hurt the party's prospects for retaining the Senate, which they control by a 51-49 majority, and winning back the House, where Republicans have a 219-213 majority.

Biden's halting debate performance has prompted some to question whether he was suffering from a neurological disorder such as Parkinson's disease, which can cause slurred speech and halting movement.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was evaluated and given a clean bill of health in February and is not being treated for the disease. Biden's doctor has said further testing is not warranted, she said.

If Republicans were to capture the White House and both houses of Congress, Trump would face few constraints on his ability to push through major policy changes.

Senator Jon Tester, one of that chamber's most vulnerable Democrats in the November election, on Monday said Biden had to do more to assuage Americans' concerns.

"President Biden has got to prove to the American people —including me — that he's up to the job for another four years," Tester said in a statement that did not call on the president to drop out of the race.

Though Biden has secured enough delegates to win the Democratic presidential nomination, some donors and lawmakers have called for him to step aside and let Vice President Kamala Harris or another candidate lead the ticket.

'BIDEN IS THE NOMINEE'

Several senior House Democrats called for Biden to drop out in a Sunday phone call, media outlets reported. Other lawmakers said they supported his candidacy.

"President Joe Biden is the nominee and has been selected by millions of voters across this country," Representative Steven Horsford, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said on social media. Black voters are a critical part of Democrats' base of support.

In his letter to Democrats, Biden said he was aware of their concerns but said it was time to put them aside.

Biden will have little time to campaign this week as he hosts a meeting of NATO member states, capped with a rare solo press conference on Thursday.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week found that one in three registered Democratic voters believed that Biden should quit the race, with 59% of respondents in the president's party saying he is too old to work in government.

However, that poll also found that none of his possible replacements fared better in a matchup against Trump. The poll found Biden and Trump tied at 40% each.

Biden's troubles appear to be increasing the number of races Democrats need to worry about in November.

Internal party polling shows that New Mexico and Virginia became more competitive following the debate, according to a source familiar with the findings, and the nonpartisan Center for Politics at the University of Virginia last week shifted its ratings on the states of Michigan and Minnesota to make each slightly more favorable for Republicans.

Together, those states will host a half-dozen of the most competitive House races.

Multiple congressional Democrats expressed support for Biden while stopping short of backing his continued campaign.

"I'm not saying anything at this point, just because discussions are going on," said Representative Jim McGovern. "I’m confident that we are all going to come together, and we're going to beat Donald Trump in November."

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Moira Warburton, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Morgan, Jeff Mason, Makini Brice, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu and Andrea Shalal; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller)