Influential Democrats back Biden as others break ranks

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden got a boost on Friday from two prominent Democrats who said he should stay in the White House race, as other members of his party said the 81-year-old incumbent is unfit for reelection.

“I’m riding with Biden no matter which direction he goes,” Representative James Clyburn said on NBC’s “Today” programme, the morning after Biden held a high-profile press conference to beat back doubts about his candidacy.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has been floated as a possible successor, said he was sticking with Biden as well. “I’m all in. No daylight,” he said in an interview excerpt released by CBS. Clyburn, 83, is a respected voice among Black Americans whose support is essential to Biden’s 2024 campaign, while Newsom, 56, is one of several younger governors who are widely seen as the future of the party.

But there were signs that Biden’s support was weakening. Two congressional Democrats urged Biden to drop his bid on Friday, following at least three who called for him to drop out on Thursday night. At least 19 lawmakers have called on him to step aside so the party can pick another candidate following his halting June 27 debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump.

“It is time to move forward. With a new leader,” Representative Mike Levin said in a statement. Unlike many of Biden’s most vocal supporters, Levin faces a competitive re-election battle of his own this year.