The Unperturbed: Biden campaigns in Michigan

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Lerato Khumalo

In Detroit, Joe Biden is awaiting a cheering crowd that responds to doubts about the Democrat with boos. But that is only a snapshot. Does Biden still have sufficient support?

US President Joe Biden, who remains undeterred in the debate about his mental fitness, has been canvassing for votes in the state of Michigan. “So much for my campaign falling apart,” said the 81-year-old Democrat at an appearance in Detroit.

As was the case at the press conference after the NATO summit, the president showed no signs of self-doubt. Biden made it clear that he wanted and would beat his Republican challenger Donald Trump again. He read his speech from teleprompters and improvised only a little. At one point he seemed to lose the thread, but quickly distracted with an anecdote.

On the same day, actress Ashley Judd had joined her Hollywood colleague George Clooney in an opinion piece in “USA Today” in calling for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. Judd asked Biden to make way for a “talented and strong candidate”. As a staunch Democrat, this was not easy for her.

Meanwhile, the Democratic minority leader of the US House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, announced that he had personally met with the US President on Thursday evening (local time) and conveyed to him the concerns of his party colleagues.

The Washington Post published an opinion piece titled: “Biden Remains Unapologetic. He Must Face Reality.” The authors agree with the warning from Biden’s supporters that the danger of another Trump presidency must not be lost sight of. But they also write: “The best way to keep Mr. Trump out of the Oval Office is to have a strong alternative.”

Previously, the New York Times reported, citing two unnamed sources, that some Democratic Party donors were withholding an estimated $90 million in campaign support as long as Biden remained a candidate. Last week, there were reports that a wealthy Disney heiress was planning to withhold her financial support for the party until Biden withdrew from the race.

In Detroit, none of this seemed to be noticeable. Biden’s audience was animated, cheering loudly over and over again, “We’re behind you,” “Don’t give up,” and “We love you.”

When Biden addressed the negative headlines of the past few days, there were boos, but the Democrat put a stop to them and defended the “good men and women” in the press. He nevertheless criticized being unfairly criticized because he sometimes mixes up names. “I say Charlie instead of Bill. But you know what? Donald Trump got a free pass.”

In the rest of his speech, Biden focused primarily on the Republican challenger. In the auto industry city of Detroit, he described Trump as an opponent of unions and the working class. The core message: He himself is concerned with people’s problems, while the convicted criminal Trump is just driving around on his golf course.

During his visit to Michigan, Biden also made an unannounced stop at a restaurant – such surprise appearances are not unusual in the US election campaign, but are being followed with great attention in the current situation.

All eyes are also on the US President among members of Congress: Since his disastrous performance in the TV debate against Trump, around 20 Democratic parliamentarians have openly opposed Biden.

After his meeting with the president, Minority Leader Jeffries wrote in a letter to the Democratic members of his House that he had “directly expressed to Biden the full range of insights, candid perspectives and conclusions” of his group. It was striking that he did not mention that he had expressed his support for Biden’s presidential candidacy.