WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden, facing pressure from within his own party to abandon his reelection campaign, is set to meet Wednesday with the executive council of the AFL-CIO, America’s largest federation of trade unions as he tries to make the case that his record in office matters more than his age. The 81-year-old Biden is also taking part in the NATO summit and looking to use the organization’s 75th anniversary meeting as a way to spotlight support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia and to reset his stumbling campaign.
Biden has been under intense scrutiny since his disastrous debate performance, putting pressure on a White House that until recently had been marked by discipline and loyalty.
Former President Donald Trump has been reveling in the turmoil surrounding the Biden campaign and pressure from Biden’s party to step down. Trump is also expected to soon announce his Republican running mate.
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The Latest:
Black faith leaders to gather in Georgia to support Biden
Faith leaders from hundreds of Black churches in Georgia will gather to support Biden on Thursday.
The event at the Georgia State Capitol aims to turn the attention back to Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
“Democrats have been fighting each other for the last two weeks, and it must stop now,” said Bishop Reginald Jackson.
He presides over 500 African Methodist Episcopal churches in the state and is one of the event’s organizers.
Black voter turnout will be key in Georgia, a battleground state.
Several more Democratic mayors voice support for Biden after call
Biden didn’t face calls to step aside or concerns about his fitness for office on a call he hosted for nearly 200 Democratic mayors. That’s according to those who were on the call.
Reactions from some mayors:
· Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a letter that Biden was “pretty fired up,” and that he and Kamala Harris are “exactly the leaders we need at this moment.”
· Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson told AP “the president is in it to win it.”
· Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said in an online post he will “proudly stand with Joe!”
New York congressman calls on Biden to step aside
An eighth Democratic member of Congress has publicly called on President Joe Biden to step aside, the New York Times reported.
U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan of New York said he no longer believed Biden could make the case necessary to defeat Trump.
He called Trump an “existential threat” to American democracy and said that he was asking Biden to drop out “for the good of the country.”
It comes as Democrats continue to wrestle with the extraordinary question of whether to stand behind the president or push him to bow out.
George Clooney joins calls for Biden to step aside
Movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney is adding his voice to calls for Biden to leave the presidential race.
Clooney said in a New York Times opinion piece Wednesday that he loves Biden, but the party would lose the presidential race and any control in Congress with him as the nominee.
“This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and congress member and governor that I’ve spoken with in private,” wrote Clooney, who has hosted high-dollar Hollywood fundraisers.
Clooney argued the party should pick a new nominee at its convention next month.
US will need strong allies no matter who wins, Finnish president says
The president of Finland says that regardless of whether Biden or Trump win the presidency in November, the U.S. will remain a superpower. That will require it to have strong allies — especially in Europe.
Alexander Stubb said he is worried about the “polarization of the political climate,” calling it “quite toxic.”
Stubb spoke to reporters as he arrived at the NATO summit Wednesday.
Stubb also said there is “strong bipartisan support” for Ukraine and NATO, following a meeting with 15 U.S. senators.
Ukraine is on ‘irreversible’ path to joining NATO — after end of war with Russia, US says
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Ukraine is on an “irreversible” path to NATO membership.
That advances American assurances that Ukraine will be allowed to join the Western self-defense alliance after its war against Russia ends.
All 32 allies are expected to issue a joint communique Wednesday cementing that “irreversible” commitment to Ukraine. That’s according to a European official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss before the release.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has battled for a firm guarantee Ukraine can join. The U.S. and some others have opposed to avoid an escalation with Russia that could lead to a larger war.
— Associated Press reporter Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this story.
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LA mayor backs Biden
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass released a one-sentence statement after the president held a virtual event with nearly 200 Democratic mayors.
“I’m supporting our nominee, President Biden,” she said.
Bass is a former member of Congress who was on Biden’s vice-presidential shortlist during his 2020 campaign.
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California has also backed the president, sending a fundraising appeal on behalf of Biden’s campaign.
“The stakes of this election are simply too high to continue fretting and worrying,” he wrote.
Pelosi stops short of saying Biden should continue
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi stopped short of saying President Joe Biden should continue his re-election campaign, saying “it’s up to the president to decide” if he’s going to run.
“We’re all encouraging him to make that decision, because time is running short,” Pelosi said early Wednesday on MSNBC.
Pressed on whether she personally wants Biden to stay on the top of the ticket, Pelosi said, “I want him to do whatever he decides to do.”
She said she watched as he delivered a forceful speech at NATO, and while foreign leaders are in Washington she encouraged Democrats to “hold off” with any announcements about his campaign.
Pelosi has been widely watched for signals of how top Democrats are thinking about Biden’s candidacy.
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