WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden is set to meet with the key constituency of labour leaders on Wednesday, as some fellow Democrats continue to ask him to quit the presidential race.
For the last 13 days, the 81-year-old Biden has been working to stem defections from Democratic parliamentarians, donors and other allies who are worried he might lose to Republican Donald Trump, 78, after his shaky debate performance on June 27.
Biden will join the AFL-CIO’s executive council for a meeting in Washington on Wednesday to take questions from leaders of major US labour unions. According to the Biden campaign, the meeting would also discuss shared commitment to defeating Donald Trump this November.
Labour votes were key to Biden’s victory over Trump in competitive states, including Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania in 2020.
Democrats in the US Congress are divided over whether to fall in line behind Biden or to ask him to quit because of persistent questions about his acuity and health. Biden says he is fit to serve as the next president but understands the questions.
Representative Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey On Tuesday became the seventh Democrat to urge Biden publicly to drop out of the election race.
Many more Democrats have also voiced concern that Biden continuing the race could cost the party the White House and both houses of Congress in November.
However public defections remain a small segment of the 213 Democratic-aligned House of Representatives members, and the party’s leadership continues to support Biden publicly. No Senators have publicly said Biden should stand aside.
Labour leaders expected at today’s meeting include the national presidents of 60 unions, representing 12.5 million Americans, Biden aides said.
After the NATO summit ends, Biden will start his campaign again, travelling to two of the competitive states, Michigan and Nevada.
