New Delhi:

In her acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination, Kamala Harris vowed to resist the influence of authoritarian leaders, who she implied have allegedly manipulated Donald Trump’s foreign policy by appealing to his autocratic tendencies. In a bid to position herself against Republican frontrunner Trump, Harris is stressing her resolve on national security, portraying the billionaire as a riskier alternative.

In her speech, Harris made it abundantly clear that her presidency would mark a definitive break from the Trump era, particularly in foreign policy. “I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators,” she declared.

As Dr Sweta Chakraborty, a Climate Surrogate for the Harris campaign, explains, Harris’s approach to policy formation is rooted in a clear-eyed assessment of the threats facing the country, both from foreign adversaries and from within. Dr Chakraborty, who has been closely involved in the campaign and was present at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, noted that Harris’s message is resonating strongly with Indian-Americans and other minority communities who see in her as their leader.

Indian-American Perspective

“Kamala Harris is polling a few points ahead of Donald Trump and will surely get a surge following the DNC. Indian-Americans like myself are banding together and supporting her through various efforts and speciality collaborations. For example, we are raising funds through ‘South Asians in Climate’ after the DNC and ahead of the ‘Harris for President Climate Group’ official launch this September. South Asians are in. Climate voters are in, and as a South Asian climate surrogate, I represent both voter groups that broadly support Kamala Harris for President,” Dr Chakraborty told NDTV.

READ | When Kamala Harris Gave Her Watch To ‘Chitthi’: Aunt Recalls Fond Memories

Born in Oakland, California in 1964, Harris’s father is Donald Harris, a man of Afro-Jamaican descent while his mother is Shyamala Gopalan, who emigrated to the US at the age of 19 to pursue her doctorate in nutrition and endocrinology.

“Having a President who shares ancestry with South Asians in America shows that South Asian immigrants and their offspring have a clear place in America. A daughter of India can make it to the highest elected office in the United States, which shows that the sky is the limit for the Indian diaspora in the US. Indians in the US already enjoy the status as the highest-earning demographic. An Indian will elevate that status and make history for minorities and women more broadly,” Dr Chakraborty said. 

The Usha Vance Factor

However, Harris is not the only Indian-American whose name and image are plastered across the US presidential campaign. Over at the Republican camp, Trump’s Vice President pick JD Vance’s wife is Usha Vance who traces her roots to Andhra Pradesh’s Vadluru. 

Usha’s father, Chilukuri Radhakrishnan, was brought up in Chennai but went to the US to pursue higher studies. Usha was raised in San Diego, California and she met JD Vance at Yale Law School before getting married in 2014. 

Video | Kamala Harris’ Grandnieces’ Tutorial On Pronouncing Leader’s Name

“Usha Vance and her husband are trading in their morals for power,” Dr Chakraborty alleged. “It is clear they had authentically shared liberal values with friends and classmates from university, but edited and adjusted their stances to maneuver in the conservative party, which they perceived would be the easier route to power.”

Kamala Harris vs Donald Trump 

Dr Chakraborty highlighted a stark contrast between Harris and Trump: where Trump has prioritised tax breaks for billionaires and deregulation of corporate polluters, Harris has pledged to hold the oil and gas industry accountable, invest in a clean energy economy, and ensure that the benefits of climate action are shared by all Americans, not just the wealthy elite.

When Harris ran for vice president in 2020, her climate plan was even more aggressive than what ultimately passed during Joe Biden’s presidency as the Inflation Reduction Act – a landmark climate legislation in American history. Now, as she prepares to release her full climate agenda in September, Harris is positioning herself as the ‘Climate President’ for the United States, Dr Chakraborty said. 

“As an Indian woman, she also represents members of American society that have been historically disenfranchised. She is physically the opposite of Biden and represents the ascendency of women and a future society that is more equitable and fair to all genders and races,” she said. 

Kamala Harris has used her presidential acceptance speech to present herself as a leader who could unite all Americans to chart a “new way forward” and warned them of “extremely serious” consequences of putting her Republican rival Donald Trump back in the White House.

Vice President Harris, who is of Indian and African heritage, on Thursday night accepted her party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, becoming the second woman to do so for the Democratic Party after former first lady Hillary Clinton.

The 59-year-old leader walked on stage to thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the audience. Chants of “Yes You Can!” erupted before her remarks.

Taking the stage at the United Center in Chicago to accept her nomination, Ms. Harris, who was a tough prosecutor in California before becoming U.S. Vice President, said she is no stranger to unlikely journeys.

“On behalf of the people, on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender or the language your grandmother speaks, on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey on behalf of Americans, like the people I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams and look out for one another, on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on earth, I accept your nomination the United States,” she said.

She fondly remembered her mother Shyamala Gopalan and said that she misses her every day, especially when she is on the verge of breaking the highest glass ceiling of the United States.

She said the November 5 election is the most important in America’s history.

“Our nation with this election has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past. A chance to chart a new way forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans,” she said in her 40-minute speech.

Vice President Harris outlined her plans for a “new way forward” if she’s elected to be the 47th president of the United States.

“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations. A president who leads – and listens. Who is realistic, Practical and has common sense. And always fights for the American people. From the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life’s work,” Ms. Harris said.

She laid out the consequences of electing former president Trump, 78, to a second term.

“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious,” she warned.

She spoke about the “chaos and calamity” of his years in the Oval Office and also pointed to him questioning election results in 2020 when he lost his reelection bid to Biden.

“Donald Trump tried to throw away your votes. When he failed, he sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol where they assaulted law enforcement officers. When politicians in his own party begged him to call off the mob and send help, he did the opposite. He fanned the flames,” she said.

Ms. Harris also highlighted that Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts in a hush-money case and that a federal jury in his civil defamation trial found that the former president had sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll.

“He was found guilty of fraud by a jury of everyday Americans, and separately found liable for committing sexual abuse,” she said.

In describing her “unexpected” ascent to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden decided to leave the race in July, Ms. Harris said that she is “no stranger to unlikely journeys.”

“America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected. But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys,” Ms. Harris said.

Ms. Harris said she remembers her mother every day and the values that she instilled in her and said that she misses her every day, especially when she is on the verge of breaking the highest glass ceiling in the United States.

Her mother, she said, taught her to “never do anything half-assed.”

If elected, Ms. Harris would break one of the highest glass ceilings left for women in the United States – that of occupying the country’s top office.

She also wished her husband, Doug Emhoff, a happy anniversary at the top of her remarks.

Thursday was the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary.

She said she would ensure America strengthens and not abdicate its global leadership.

“I will make sure that we lead the world into the future on space and Artificial Intelligence, and that America-not China-wins the competition for the 21st century. And that we strengthen not abdicate our global leadership,” Ms. Harris, 59, said in her address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Ms. Harris, who will take on former president Trump in the November 5 election, said her Republican rival doesn’t fight for the middle class.

“Instead, he fights for himself and his billionaire friends. He will give them another round of tax breaks that will add five trillion dollars to the national debt,” she said.

Ms. Harris also called for reforming the broken immigration system.

“We can create an earned pathway to citizenship- And secure our border. America, we must also be steadfast in advancing our security and our values abroad,” she said.

Ms. Harris has said that, if elected the commander-in-chief of the US, she will ensure that the country always has the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world, Israel can defend itself and Ukraine and NATO allies are not abandoned.

“And I will not cosy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim-Jong-Un, who are rooting for Trump. Because they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favours. They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable—because he wants to be an autocrat,’” she said.

“As President, I will never waver in defence of America’s security and ideals. Because, in the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand—and where the United States of America belongs,’ she said.

Ms. Harris said as Vice President, she has confronted threats to security, negotiated with foreign leaders, strengthened alliances, and engaged with brave troops overseas.

“As commander-in-chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world. I will fulfil our sacred obligation to care for our troops and their families,” she said.

“And I will always honour, and never disparage, their service and their sacrifice,” she said.

Trump, on the other hand, threatened to abandon NATO. He encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade America’s allies, she said.

Trump said Russia could “do whatever the hell they want”, she alleged.

Ms. Harris said five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, she met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to warn him about Russia’s plan to invade.

“I helped mobilise a global response— over 50 countries—to defend against Putin’s aggression. And as President, I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies,’ she said.

On the disastrous Gaza war, she said: “President Biden and I are working around the clock. Because now is the time to get a hostage deal and ceasefire done. Let me be clear: I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself.”

Trump reacted to Harris’ speech in real-time on Truth Social.

“IS SHE TALKING ABOUT ME?” Trump posted.

The former president posted in rapid succession, criticizing Ms. Harris’ speech, saying “A lot of talk about childhood,” and “Too many ‘Thank yous,’ too rapidly said.” Trump repeatedly questioned why Ms. Harris hadn’t already accomplished the policy proposals she had put forward as part of her reelection campaign while serving as vice president.

“She said, ‘Chart a new way forward,’ but she’s had three and a half years, and has done nothing but HARM!” Trump wrote.

Her speech, at only 38 minutes, was the 12th-shortest in modern history, while her opponent Trump holds the record for the three longest acceptance speeches in American political history.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, on July 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Kamala Harris is smashing fundraising records as the U.S. Democratic Party’s donors — big and small — open their wallets for the vice president in the immediate aftermath of U.S. President Joe Biden’s stunning decision to step aside.

In total, Ms. Harris’ team raised more than $81 million in the 24-hour period since Mr. Biden’s announcement, campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said Monday.

The massive haul, which includes money raised across the campaign, the Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees, represents the largest 24-hour sum reported by either side in the 2024 campaign. Ms. Harris’ campaign said it was the largest single-day total in U.S. history.

ALSO READ: Editorial on Joe Biden bowing out of the presidential race

“The historic outpouring of support for Vice President Harris represents exactly the kind of grassroots energy and enthusiasm that wins elections,” Mr. Munoz said.

Hours earlier, Future Forward, the largest super PAC in Democratic politics, announced it had secured $150 million in commitments over the same period from donors who were “previously stalled, uncertain or uncommitted,” a senior adviser said.

Taken together, the fundraising explosion puts Ms. Harris in a dominant position to secure the Democratic Party’s formal presidential nomination at next month’s national convention — if not sooner. The donor class’s embrace comes as she locks up endorsements from the vast majority of Democratic governors and members of Congress.

The huge haul also ensures that Ms. Harris and her allies can compete with Donald Trump, who has generated stunning fundraising totals of his own in recent weeks as he fights to return to the White House.

“This is the next generation people have been waiting for,” Michael Kempner, a member of Biden’s national finance team, said of Ms. Harris’ emergence. “The donors I’ve spoken to are enthusiastic about supporting her. And even those that may have preferred an open convention have quickly coalesced around her overnight.”

Harris’ initial 24-hour fundraising total easily bested the $50 million Trump raised immediately after felony convictions and the $38 million Mr. Biden secured over the four days that followed last month’s disastrous debate performance. The Trump campaign has not said how much it raised immediately after last weekend’s assassination attempt; a spokesman didn’t respond to a request Monday.

File picture of Democratic Party leader Nancy Pelosi, who has endorsed Kamala Harris
| Photo Credit: AP

Top Democratic leader and former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday endorsed U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee after President Joe Biden stepped aside amid concerns from within their party that he would be unable to defeat Republican Donald Trump.

Ms. Harris, 59, is mostly likely to be the presidential nominee of the Democratic party now that she has been endorsed by President Joe Biden, who announced on Sunday that he will not seek re-election, as well as other top party leaders including former president Bill Clinton.

“Today, it is with immense pride and limitless optimism for our country’s future that I endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States,” Ms. Pelosi said in a statement.

ALSO READ: Editorial on Joe Biden bowing out of the presidential race

The endorsement from Pelosi, 84, is significant given that she is a towering personality within the Democratic Party.

“Officially, I have seen Kamala Harris’s strength and courage as a champion for working families, notably fighting for a woman’s right to choose,” she said.

“Personally, I have known Kamala Harris for decades as rooted in strong values, faith and a commitment to public service. Politically, make no mistake: Kamala Harris as a woman in politics is brilliantly astute – and I have full confidence that she will lead us to victory in November,” Ms. Pelosi said.

Mr. Biden’s exit on Sunday, prompted by Democratic worries over his fitness for office, was a seismic shift to the presidential contest that upended both major political parties’ carefully honed plans for the 2024 race.

Aiming to put weeks of intra-party drama over 81-year-old Biden’s candidacy behind them, prominent Democratic elected officials, party leaders and political organisations quickly lined up behind Harris in the hours after he announced dropping his re-election campaign.

Washington:

Indian-American businessman-turned-politician Vivek Ramaswamy had predicted some eight months ago that incumbent President Joe Biden would not be the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party.

Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he decided to give up running for re-election as president of the United States and endorsed his deputy Kamala Harris to be the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party.

“Best way to predict the future: just follow the incentives. It’s shocking how precisely right you can be, right down to the exact timing,” Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old Republican, said in a social media post along with the video interview with Fox News last November, soon after Biden announced his decision.

Best way to predict the future: just follow the incentives. It’s shocking how precisely right you can be, right down to the exact timing. pic.twitter.com/Xz5CBC8XxW

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 21, 2024

“Yeah, all his predictions have come true,” Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk said in response. “Wish it weren’t so,” Ramaswamy responded.

Yeah, all his predictions have come true

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2024

Wish it weren’t so. https://t.co/upKkCY2iY2

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 21, 2024

In his interview with Fox News, Ramaswamy had said: “I think that the reality is the managerial class around Biden has lost their use for him. This has been obvious to me since last year to play out the incentives. He is not the strongest candidate they can put up. And these people, they have stopped at nothing to keep Donald J Trump out of office,” he said.

The Indian-American, who then was the Republican presidential candidate in the primaries along with former president Donald Trump, said that two candidates – Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama – were possibly to be picked by the Democrats.

“Let’s give credit where credit is due. For almost a year one man has been saying “Biden won’t be the Democratic nominee” and predicting a last-minute blindside. People called him crazy,” Tristane Tate, a social media influencer, said, applauding Ramaswamy for his prediction coming true. Ramaswamy had made a similar prediction during one of the Republican presidential debates.

He also posted a compilation of videos of his predictions and said, “The anatomy of how a “conspiracy theory” became reality, in just 18 months.” 

The anatomy of how a “conspiracy theory” became reality, in just 18 months. pic.twitter.com/yU4wlnJ6oK

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) July 21, 2024

“‘I remember corporate media reporters sneering and laughing when Vivek Ramaswamy made this point in the debate. They’re not laughing now!” Raheem Kassam, a journalist, said on X.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

U.S. President Joe Biden, in a letter to congressional Democrats, continued to stand firm against calls for him to drop his candidacy and called for an “end” to the intra-party drama that has torn apart Democrats about whether he should stay in the race.

In the two-page letter, Mr. Biden wrote that “the question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end”. He stressed that the party has “one job” — defeating presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in November.

“We have 42 days to the Democratic Convention and 119 days to the general election,” Mr. Biden said in the letter. “Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us. It’s time to come together, move forward as a unified party, and defeat Donald Trump.” The letter was sent from the campaign to Democratic lawmakers as they return to Washington following the July 4 recess.

Should Biden stay or go?

Deeply torn over Mr. Biden’s candidacy, Democratic lawmakers return to Washington at a pivotal moment as they decide whether to work to revive his campaign or edge out the party leader, a make-or-break time for his reelection and their own political futures.

Anxiety is running high as top-ranking Democratic lawmakers are joining calls for Mr. Biden to step aside after his dismal debate performance and defiant response to the uproar.

At the same time, some of the President’s most staunch supporters insist there is no one better than Mr. Biden to beat Mr. Trump.

As lawmakers weigh whether Mr. Biden should stay or go, there appear to be no easy answers in sight. It is a tenuous and highly volatile juncture for the president’s party. Democrats who have worked alongside Mr. Biden for years — if not decades — and cherished his life’s work on policy priorities are now entertaining uncomfortable questions about his political future. And it’s unfolding as Mr. Biden hosts world leaders for the NATO summit this week in Washington.

Time is not on their side, almost a month from the Democratic National Convention and just a week before Republicans gather in Milwaukee to renominate Mr. Trump as their presidential pick. Many Democrats are arguing the attention needs to be focused instead on the former president’s felony conviction in the hush money case and pending federal charges in his effort to overturn the 2020 election.

It’s what Mr. Biden himself might call an inflection point. As he defiantly says he will only step aside if the Lord almighty comes and tells him to, Democrats in the House and Senate are deciding how hard they want to fight the president to change course, or if they want to change course at all.

Deepening divide

In an effort to “get on the same page”, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is convening lawmakers for private meetings before he shows his own preference, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. He plans to gather Democrats on Monday whose bids for reelection are most vulnerable.

But a private call on July 7 of some 15 top House committee members exposed the deepening divide as at least four more Democrats — Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state and Rep. Mark Takano of California — privately said Mr. Biden should step aside.

Mr. Nadler, as the most senior ranking member on the call, was the first person to speak up and say that Mr. Biden should step aside, according to a person familiar with the call who was granted anonymity to discuss it. He did so aware of his seniority and that it would allow others to join him.

Many others on the call raised concerns about Mr. Biden’s capability and chance of winning re-election, even if they stopped short of saying Mr. Biden should step out of the race.

Still other members, including Rep. Maxine Waters of California and Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, both leaders in the Congressional Black Caucus, spoke forcefully in support of Mr. Biden, as did Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

And several lawmakers appeared frustrated that leadership was not providing direction or a path forward, according to people familiar with the call. One Democratic lawmaker said regardless of the decision, the situation has to “end now”, one of the people said.

Mr. Neal said afterward that the bottom line is Mr. Biden defeated Mr. Trump in 2020 and “he’ll do it again in November”.

The upheaval also is testing a new generation of leaders, headed by Mr. Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Both New Yorkers have refrained from publicly directing lawmakers on a path forward as they balance diverse opinions in their ranks.

Behind the scenes is Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who continues to field calls from lawmakers seeking advice about the situation, and is widely viewed as the one to watch for any ultimate decision on Mr. Biden’s future because of her proximity to the president and vote-counting skills in party politics.

Ms. Pelosi spoke up last week, saying Mr. Biden’s debate performance raised “legitimate” questions he needed to answer, but she has remained supportive of the president. And Biden called her last week when he reached out to other party leaders.

When Biden’s prime-time ABC interview on Friday appeared to do little to calm worried Democrats, and some said made the situation worse, Ms. Pelosi stepped forward to publicly praise Mr. Biden on social media as a “great President who continues to deliver for America’s kitchen table.” She added, “and we’re not done yet!” Schumer has kept a lower profile throughout the ordeal but will convene Democratic senators Tuesday for their weekly lunch when senators are certain to air many views.

Another Democrat, Sen. Alex Padilla of California, said it was “time to quit the hand-wringing and get back to door knocking”. He spoke with Mr. Biden over the weekend, and urged his campaign to “let Joe be Joe”.

“Given the debate, I think the campaign has no choice,” he said on Sunday, explaining that Mr. Biden needs to hold town halls and unscripted events to show voters “the Joe Biden I know, and that most people in American have come to grow and love”.

Bigger impact on the election

While some deep-pocketed donors may be showing discomfort, strategists working on House and Senate races said they posted record fundraising as donors view congressional Democrats as a “firewall” and last line of defence against Mr. Trump.

House Democrats have had some of their better fundraising days yet, including a $3 million haul on Friday night after the debate at an event with former President Barack Obama and Jeffries in New York City. That’s on top of $1.3 million that rolled into the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the debate and its immediate aftermath.

Senate Democrats are also seeing a “surge” of support, according to a national Democrat with knowledge of Senate races.

As Democratic candidates campaign alongside Biden, the advice has been to focus on building their own brands and amplifying the way the work that’s done in Congress affects their local districts.

was:

Joe Biden’s presidential reelection bid hung in the balance Saturday after his latest efforts to put a disastrous debate showing behind him failed to silence voices urging him to quit the White House race.

Murmurs of dissent within his own Democratic Party have — in the case of five individual House representatives — morphed into direct calls for him to drop out. And a number of key donors have threatened to cut off funding if Biden insists on staying the course.

“I do not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump,” Angie Craig, the latest House Democrat to break ranks, said Saturday.

The House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, has scheduled a virtual meeting of senior Democrat representatives for Sunday to discuss the best way forward, and Democrat Senator Mark Warner is reportedly working to convene a similar forum in the upper chamber.

In what had been billed as a make-or-break TV interview on Friday, Biden’s strategy was to flatly deny the falling poll numbers and concerns over his mental and physical fitness triggered by his dismal performance against rival Donald Trump.

He blamed a severe cold for the debate debacle and insisted it was just a “bad night” rather than evidence of increasing frailty and cognitive decline. And the 81-year-old was adamant that he would not be pressured to end his campaign.

“If the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I’d get out of the race,” he said. “But the Lord Almighty is not coming down.”

Calls for less divine intervention do, however, appear to be strengthening.

Internal dissent

Biden’s campaign team is pushing ahead regardless, with two events planned in Pennsylvania on Sunday and visits to other battleground states later in the month.

At a rally in Wisconsin before Friday’s interview, Biden had delivered a forceful, energetic stump speech, unequivocally declaring, “I’m staying in the race. I’ll beat Donald Trump.”

Then came the sit-down with the ABC network that appeared unlikely to soothe the concerns of critics who say that — away from a teleprompter — Biden can struggle to communicate.

Some of his answers were tentative, meandering and difficult to follow, even as he sought to deflect questions about his mental acuity and dismissed the notion that his party would consider replacing him.

The Biden campaign had another small fire to put out Saturday after it emerged that the White House had provided the questions for interviews the president gave to two Black radio stations on Friday.

Out of touch?

Democratic strategist David Axelrod suggested in a CNN op-ed that Biden is engaged in “Denial. Delusion. Defiance.”

“The stakes are as great as Biden describes. And if he believes it, as I think he does, he will eventually do what duty and love of country requires, and step aside,” Axelrod wrote in the piece published Saturday.

“If he does not, it will be Biden’s age, and not Trump’s moral and ethical void, that will dominate the rest of this most important campaign and sully the president’s historic legacy.”

Trump, meanwhile, sarcastically suggested Biden should “ignore his many critics and move forward, with alacrity and strength.”

“He should be sharp, precise and energetic, just like he was in The Debate,” the Republican challenger said in a social media post Saturday.

For now, Democrats are largely keeping a lid on any simmering discontent with their leader — at least in public.

But with election day just four months away, any move to replace Biden as nominee would need to be made sooner rather than later, and the meetings of top Congressional Democrats in coming days will be scrutinized for any signs of more open rebellion.

Meanwhile, for Biden and his campaign team, the strategy seems to be to ride it out.

His next major test will be a press conference scheduled for Thursday during the NATO leaders’ summit in Washington.

When pressed in the ABC interview on why he doesn’t take an independent neurological exam, Biden argued that the role of US president meant being subjected to constant mental assessment.

“I have a cognitive test every single day,” he said. “Not only am I campaigning, I’m running the world.” 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks to the press with New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Maryland Governor Wes Moore after attending a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and other Democratic governors at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 3, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The Democratic governors of New York, Minnesota and Maryland on Wednesday said they would support U.S. President Joe Biden’s reelection bid after a candid discussion with him about his weak performance in last week’s debate.

“The president has always had our backs. We’re going to have his back as well,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore told reporters after a meeting with Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House that included 24 Democratic governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C., some joining online.

Mr. Moore said the governors were frank in relaying negative feedback from constituents about Mr. Biden’s poor performance during the debate with Republican rival Donald Trump. He said there was clearly work to do before the Nov. 5 election, but Biden had made it clear he would stay in the race.

“The president… he’s our nominee. The president is our party leader,” Mr. Moore said. There has been growing talk among Democrats in recent days that 81-year-old Biden should drop out of the race.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she felt confident after the meeting and all the governors pledged their support to Mr. Biden. The president is “in it to win it,” she said.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said Mr. Biden’s debate performance on Thursday was bad but he felt Mr. Biden was fit for office.

“Obviously we, like many Americans, are a little worried. We’re worried because the threat of a Trump presidency is not theoretical,” Mr. Walz said, adding that the previous Trump presidency was marked by “chaos, destruction.”

Nearly a dozen of the State leaders attended the meeting in person, but only three spoke with reporters afterwards.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who participated in person, posted his reaction on social platform X: “I heard three words from the President tonight — he’s all in. And so am I.”

Mr. Biden’s campaign said the president reiterated his determination “to defeat the existential threat of Donald Trump at the ballot box in November” and discussed the importance of electing Democrats up and down the ballot.

“All participants reiterated their shared commitment to do everything possible to make sure President Biden and Vice President Harris beat Donald Trump in November,” it said.

File picture of U.S. President Joe Biden during the first presidential debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., June 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday acknowledged his performance during the June 27 presidential debate wasn’t his best, but blamed it on jet lag after two overseas trips earlier in June.

Mr. Biden has faced mounting questions about his 2024 reelection bid after last week’s shaky debate performance, with one House of Representatives fellow Democrat on Tuesday publicly calling on him to withdraw from the race.

Speaking at a campaign event in McLean, Virginia, on Tuesday evening, Mr. Biden admitted the debate against former President Donald Trump, his Republican rival, did not go well.

“I didn’t have my best night, but the fact is that you know, I wasn’t very smart,” Mr. Biden said, speaking at the campaign fundraiser without the aid of a teleprompter. “I decided to travel around the world a couple times, going through around 100 time zones… before… the debate.

“Didn’t listen to my staff and came back and nearly fell asleep on stage,” he said. “That’s no excuse but it is an explanation.”

Mr. Biden traveled to France and Italy during two separate trips in the space of two weeks last month, flying overnight from the Group of Seven summit in Bari, Italy, to appear at a fundraiser with former President Barack Obama in Los Angeles on June 15 before returning to Washington the following day.

He then spent six days at Camp David preparing for the June 27 debate.

White House officials have blamed Mr. Biden’s halting performance during the debate on a cold. Mr. Biden did not mention being sick during Tuesday’s fundraiser.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Tuesday showed that one in three Democrats think Mr. Biden should end his reelection bid following the debate, but no prominent elected Democrat does any better than Mr. Biden in a hypothetical matchup against Mr. Trump.

The two-day poll found that both Mr. Trump, 78, and Mr. Biden, 81, maintain the support of 40% of registered voters, suggesting that Mr. Biden has not lost ground since the debate. Election Day is November 5.