DETROIT, Michigan - Seeking to revive his struggling re-election campaign, US President Joe Biden held a rare rally in Detroit, telling a cheering crowd he wasn’t going to leave the race and warning that Republican Donald Trump poses a serious threat.
Mr Biden, 81, is trying to shift the conversation from his mental sharpness to the impact of another Trump presidency, as his campaign struggles after his shaky debate performance on June 27.
“I am running, and we’re going to win,” he said to a crowd that carried “Motown is Joetown” signs and chanted “Don’t you quit” before he spoke.
“I’m the nominee,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“It’s time for us to stop treating politics like it’s entertainment or a reality TV show,” Mr Biden said.
He warned that “Project 2025,” a conservative policy platform that would seek to slash the federal government if Trump is elected, was “deadly serious.”
Earlier on July 12, Mr Biden made a surprise stop at a garage-themed restaurant in a western suburb of Detroit, where he told diners he planned to “finish the job,” and said “I promise you... I’m okay.”
As Air Force One flew to the Motor City, campaign spokesman Michael Tyler told reporters that donations “exploded” during Mr Biden’s July 11 night press conference to seven times the usual level.
Mr Biden got a boost earlier in the day when two prominent Democrats - Representative James Clyburn and California Governor Gavin Newsom - said he should stay in the race.
On July 12 afternoon, United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain, who had previously said he was worried about Mr Biden’s chances, praised Mr Biden for standing “with the working class,” without using his name.
But there were signs that his support was weakening elsewhere, as two more lawmakers called on him to drop out.
“It is time to move forward. With a new leader,” Representative Mike Levin, from California, said in a statement.
Mr Levin, like many others who have called on Mr Biden to drop out, faces a competitive re-election battle of his own in 2024.
Since the debate, at least 19 lawmakers have urged him to step aside so the party can pick another candidate, as have some donors, Hollywood stars, activist groups and news outlets.
Mr Biden retains support from key figures in the party, however, and has vowed to contest the Nov 5 election.
“I’m riding with Biden no matter which direction he goes,” Mr Clyburn said on NBC’s “Today” programme.
Mr Newsom likewise said he was sticking with Mr Biden in an interview excerpt released by CBS.
Mr Clyburn, 83, is a respected voice among Black Americans whose support is essential to Mr Biden’s 2024 campaign, while Mr Newsom, 56, is one of several younger governors who are widely seen as the future of the party.
While Mr Biden courted Michigan voters, Trump challenged him on July 12 to take a cognitive test, writing on Truth Social: “I will go with him, and take one also. For the first time, we’ll be a team, and do it for the good of the Country.”
Trump will be in the national spotlight next week, when the Republican Party holds its convention in Milwaukee to award him the presidential nomination.
Crucial calls
Democrats are worried that Mr Biden’s low approval ratings and growing concerns that he is too old for the job could cause them to lose seats in the House and Senate, leaving them with no grip on power in Washington should Trump win the White House.
As he worked to stem further defections, Mr Biden held separate phone calls with groups of Hispanic, Asian and Democratic lawmakers, according to aides.
While the Hispanic group’s top two leaders have endorsed Mr Biden, some other members have not stated their positions.
Democratic officeholders, donors and activists are trying to determine whether Biden is their best bet to defeat Trump and serve another four-year term in the White House.
The New York Times reported that unnamed donors have told a pro-Biden Super PAC that roughly US$90 million (S$120.74 million) in pledges will remain on hold as long as he remains in the race.
As Air Force One flew to the Motor City, campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler told reporters that donations "exploded" during Biden's Thursday night press conference to seven times the usual level.
Mr Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, said he met with Mr Biden on July 11 night to convey the range of thoughts his 213-member caucus held about Mr Biden’s candidacy.
He did not say whether he personally thought Mr Biden should stay in the race.
“I directly expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward,” Mr Jeffries wrote in a letter to colleagues.
Thursday's closely-watched press conference provided fodder for Biden supporters and doubters alike.
At one point, Mr Biden referred to his vice-president, Ms Kamala Harris, as “Vice- President Trump.”
Hours earlier, he introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” at the Nato summit, drawing gasps from those in the room.
He also delivered detailed assessments of global issues that served as a reminder of his decades of experience on the world stage.
With most US voters firmly divided into ideological camps, opinion polls show the race remains close.
An NPR/PBS poll released on July 12 found Mr Biden leading Trump 50 per cent to 48 per cent, a slight increase from his position before the June 27 debate.
But some analysts have warned that Mr Biden is losing ground in the handful of competitive states that will determine the outcome of the election.
“If current trends continue, Mr Trump could rack up one of the most decisive presidential victories since 2008,” Democratic strategist Doug Sosnik wrote in the New York Times.