President Biden on Monday dared House Democrats to try to push him out of the presidential race at the Democratic National Convention in August.
In a rambling interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” in which Mr. Biden at times raised his voice and vented frustration, he took direct aim at the increasing number of lawmakers who’ve demanded he step aside.
“I’m getting so frustrated by the elites … the elites in the party who they know so much more,” Mr Biden said sarcastically. “If any of these guys don’t think I should run, run against me. Announce a president [campaign]. Challenge me at the convention.”
Mr. Biden remained defiant throughout the roughly 10-minute unscheduled interview, doubling down on his refusal to drop out of the race.
“I’m not letting up. I’m not letting up a little bit,” he said. “The bottom line here is that we are not going anywhere. I’m not going anywhere.”
Mr. Biden criticized detractors who predict he’ll lose to former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee. He said he’s defied expectations his entire career, noting that he was forecasted to lose in 2020 and pollsters were expecting massive GOP victories in the 2022 midterms that never materialized.
“I said we were gonna win and how we were gonna win. It wasn’t like, ’Oh my God,’ I was surprised,” Mr. Biden said. “I’ve got pretty good political instinct and eye.”
He also dismissed reports that his support among black voters is evaporating.
However, he sidestepped a question about whether he’s been tested for any age-related illnesses, including Parkinson’s disease. It was reported over the weekend that a Parkinson’s disease specialist had visited the White House several times since 2022.
“If there was something that was wrong that night, it’s not like that’s one night and it goes away. That’s why I’ve been out. I’ve been testing myself. I’ve been tested everywhere I go, going out and making the case,” Mr. Biden said. “I was out until two o’clock in the morning that very night. It drives me nuts, people talking about this.”
Asked about a letter he sent earlier Monday to Democrats on Capitol Hill pushing back on calls to step aside, Mr. Biden launched into a rambling tirade against former President Donald Trump for hitting the golf course after the debate.
“Well, look — Democrats … let me say it this way, the reason I’ve been on the road so much, all over the country, while Trump is riding around in a golf cart filling out his card before, golf card before he even hits the ball — but anyway, he hasn’t been anywhere in 10 days. I’ve been all over the country,” Mr. Biden said.
Mr. Biden said stepping aside would invalidate the votes of those who voted for him during the Democratic primary.
“And I’ve gone all over the country for several reasons. One, to make sure my instinct was right about the party still wanting me to be the nominee. And all the data, all the data shows that the average Democrat out there who voted, 14 million of them who’ve voted for me, still want me to be the nominee,” he said.
The interview drew praise from one Democrat, former Rep. Max Rose of New York, who said he wished Mr. Biden spent more of his presidency showing his fiery side. He also castigated Democrats who are trying to shove the president aside.
“They are part of the problem. Not the president. It’s time that everyone gets together, gets disciplined and focuses on the actual problem,” said Mr. Rose, referring to Mr. Trump.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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