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Pressure on US president Joe Biden to withdraw from this year’s election continued on Friday when a group of national business leaders called on him to step down as the Democratic nominee.
In a separate significant development, Massachusetts governor Maura Healey issued a statement on Friday urging the president “to listen to the American people”.
“President Biden saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years,” the Democratic politician said. I am deeply grateful for his leadership. And I know he agrees this is the most important election of our lifetimes.
“The best way forward right now is a decision for the president to make. Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump.
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Her statement came after a coalition of some 168 national business leaders, including Walmart heir Christy Walton, reportedly sent a letter on Friday lauding Mr Biden’s achievements while pressing him to step down as the Democratic nominee.
After Mr Biden made a brief speech at the July 4th independence day celebrations at the White House on Thursday, two recorded radio interviews broadcast were heavily analysed by media.
It was noted that the president seemed to stumble over words and lost his train of thought on a number of occasions. After a meeting with several Democratic governors on Wednesday, it emerged Mr Biden had told the gathering that his catastrophic debate performance against Donald Trump in Atlanta last week had been caused by fatigue. He reportedly told his party colleagues that he needed to cut back on events, particularly after 8pm.
California governor Gavin Newsom, frequently mentioned as a possible replacement should Mr Biden step down from the election, attended that meeting and then campaigned on the president’s behalf in Michigan on Thursday. Vouching for the president’s energy, he said Mr Biden had given assurances that he was “all in”, and Mr Newsom said he was “doubling down” on his support for the president.
“I have been with him a lot. I have seen him do things I don’t care if you are 30 years old you couldn’t do. And I know people say you are gaslighting, all of this stuff. I reject that because I am just telling you what I have seen. I was with in him in LA [at a fundraiser preceding the Atlanta debate]. He was full of life for almost two hours. I was exhausted and got back to the hotel room and collapsed.”
Making light of the suggested 8pm curfew for Mr Biden, Mr Newsom said: “It wasn’t a literal ‘at 8 o clock I will be doing things differently’, but it was more figurative thing.”
He allowed, however, that it was important that voters saw more of the Democratic candidate. “People need to see Joe Biden again. Scranton Joe. The person you want to have a beer with, reminds you of someone you love and respect in your family.”
A planned speech by president Mr Biden at the National Education Association convention in Philadelphia on Sunday was cancelled after unionised staff announced a strike over working conditions. A Biden campaign statement said the president “is a fierce supporter of unions and he won’t cross a picket line”. Mr Biden is still due to travel to Pennsylvania on Sunday, but details about where he will speak were still be confirmed on Friday.
Meanwhile, Mr Biden’s Republican rival Donald Trump sought to distance himself from Project 2025, the radical blueprint by the conservative Heritage Foundation which envisages an expansion of presidential power and the reduction of federal office staff. Heritage president Kevin Roberts said in a War Room podcast interview that the country was “in the process of the second American revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be”.
Commenting on his social media account, Mr Trump said he disagreed “with some of the things they are saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal”.
He added: ‘Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.’