U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to stay in the 2024 U.S. presidential race during calls with campaign staff and meetings with Democratic lawmakers and governors on Wednesday, as he sought to shake off calls for him to drop out after his shaky debate performance last week.
Biden dialed in to a call with worried members of his campaign team and told them he wasn't going anywhere, according to two sources familiar with the call.
"No one is pushing me out. I'm not leaving. I'm in this race to the end," Biden said in a separate email blast by his campaign, urging supporters to "pitch in a few bucks" to help defeat his Republican rival Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 presidential election.
The president met virtually and in person with 24 Democratic governors and the mayor of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening to reassure them he is up to the job of standard-bearer for the party after the faltering debate performance.
Only three of the governors - the leaders of New York, Minnesota and Maryland - met with reporters afterwards, vowing to stand with Biden after what they called an honest discussion about his bad 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 said.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said Biden's Thursday night debate performance against former President Trump was bad, but added that he felt Biden was fit for office.
President Joe Biden speaks at a presidential debate watch party, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Concerns about Biden's age and mental acuity exploded after Thursday's debate with Trump, in which the president mumbled under his breath, lost his train of thought at times and, at one point, talked of beating Medicare. The president has said that he was tired after two foreign trips and the White House has said he had a cold.
Asked Wednesday if Biden was considering stepping down, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: "Absolutely not."
Soon after she spoke, two national polls suggested Biden's chances against Trump - who rattled off a series of well-worn falsehoods during the debate - had deteriorated.
A Wall Street Journal survey found Trump beating Biden by a margin of 48 per cent to 42 per cent, up one percentage point, while a New York Times and Siena poll found Trump's lead over Biden had widened by three points to 49 per cent to 43 per cent.
In a call among House Democrats on Wednesday, Arizona's Raúl Grijalva called for Biden to drop out of the race while Representative Seth Moulton from Massachusetts pointed to Biden's age as a liability.
“The unfortunate reality is that the status quo will likely deliver us President Trump,” Moulton said in a statement. "President Biden is not going to get younger.”
While the campaign has highlighted fundraising successes with grassroots donors and held damage control calls with donors, Reed Hastings, a major Democratic Party donor and a co-founder of streaming platform Netflix, called for Biden to step aside.
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris has meanwhile gained support as his potential replacement.
Dmitri Mehlhorn, an adviser to LinkedIn co-founder and Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman, told Reuters his team would "enthusiastically support a ticket led by our tough and savvy vice president if Biden were to step aside for any reason."
Melhorn said Harris was the only serious national contender who had already been subjected to major attacks by Trump's "Make America Great Again" supporters.
"We would lose Joe's superpower brand, but we would gain other benefits and would still be competitive," he said.
Democrats and donors concerned about Biden's viability in the November election will be closely watching an interview with ABC News expected to be taped and aired Friday during a campaign visit to Madison, Wisconsin.
The White House said Biden has spoken with Democratic leaders in Congress as well as Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn, who was instrumental in Biden's 2020 win.
Clyburn, who has said he would back Harris as the presidential candidate if Biden stepped aside, told CNN on Wednesday that the party should hold a "mini-primary" if Biden steps aside, the first senior party member to talk publicly about how replacing Biden as a candidate could work.
Some of the governors who met with Biden on Wednesday could be potential rivals if pressure for him to step aside were to increase, but many of them also speak on Biden's behalf on the campaign trail.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear have all been mentioned as possible replacements to Biden.
Hurricane Beryl ripped off roofs in Jamaica, jumbled fishing boats in Barbados and damaged or destroyed 95 per cent of homes on a pair of islands in St. Vincent and the Grenadines before rumbling toward the Cayman Islands and taking aim at Mexico's Caribbean coast after leaving at least seven dead in its wake.
A B.C. judge has ordered the sale of a Surrey home despite the objections of the woman who lives there, who owns it jointly with her son.
A landlord in Ottawa is facing thousands of dollars in repairs after his tenant left his only rental property damaged and disorderly.
The next quarterly GST/HST tax credit payment is expected to go out this week, according to the Canada Revenue Agency.
A woman has died and four others have been taken to hospital following a hit-and-run collision overnight on the Gardiner Expressway.
With warmer-than-usual temperatures on the horizon this summer, a stronger and longer Atlantic storm season is ahead. A hurricane expert explains why that is and what to expect in the months ahead.
A majority of Canadians think Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will stay on to lead his party in the next election even as his approval ratings are still extremely low, a new poll suggests.
As receipts tick ever higher for Canadians at the grocery store and shoppers continue to search for savings, one Canadian grocer has ended a perceived deal.
Police in Cape Breton are investigating reports of a scam involving a seemingly stranded motorist flagging down drivers and offering gold jewelry in exchange for money to pay for gas or repairs.
Ottawa city councillor Clarke Kelly says he is not apologizing after a Kinburn daycare owner alleged he screamed and swore in front of children during a dispute that saw police called to the scene on Wednesday afternoon.
A Calgary man is $66 million richer after claiming a Lotto 6-49 jackpot.
Waterloo, Ont., regional police have arrested a man in connection to a Canada Day firework incident involving a city councillor.
Anthony Olienick made death arrangements before heading to the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., preparing for a noble, bloody, apocalyptic last stand against a satanic system of government, court heard Wednesday.
There was relief in central Labrador Wednesday night as officials lifted a wildfire evacuation order, allowing people to return to their homes in Churchill Falls two weeks after they were asked to flee.
A woman has died and four others have been taken to hospital following a hit-and-run collision overnight on the Gardiner Expressway.
A Delta flight from Detroit to Amsterdam was diverted to New York's Kennedy Airport on Wednesday after passengers were served spoiled food, airline officials said.
The age question for presidential candidates is more than four decades old. Former U.S. president Ronald Reagan answered it with a pledge to resign if he became impaired, and later with a clever joke that reset his campaign from a stumbling debate performance to a 49-state landslide and a second term.
Across France and especially in Paris, hospitality is one of the industries that is most heavily reliant on immigrant workers.
With ceasefire talks faltering in Gaza and no clear offramp for the conflict on the Lebanon-Israel border, the daily exchanges of strikes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have sparked fires that are tearing through forests and farmland on both sides of the frontline.
he suspect in the attempted assassination in May of Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, is now facing terror charges as part of an investigation by authorities, the country’s prosecutor-general said Thursday.
If there’s one thing that American voters overwhelmingly agree on, it’s that this year’s presidential election presents a stark choice.
The parliamentary budget officer estimates that staffing up the new regulators in the Liberals' Online Harms Act will cost around $200 million over five years.
A majority of Canadians think Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will stay on to lead his party in the next election even as his approval ratings are still extremely low, a new poll suggests.
The criminal trial of 'Freedom Convoy' organizer Pat King is set to resume today as the defence begins its case.
People who take Ozempic or Wegovy may have a higher risk of developing a rare form of blindness, a new study suggests. Still, doctors say it shouldn’t deter patients from using the medicines to treat diabetes or obesity.
A fourth farm worker has been infected with bird flu in the outbreak linked to dairy cows, health officials reported Wednesday.
When Hannah was seven years old, she told her parents she didn’t want to be afraid of food anymore.
Grapes have been intertwined with the story of humanity for millennia, providing the basis for wines produced by our ancestors thousands of years ago — but that may not have been the case if dinosaurs hadn’t disappeared from the planet, according to new research.
Marine mammal rescuers in British Columbia are searching for an entangled humpback whale in the waters off northern Vancouver Island.
The former Apollo 8 astronaut best known for taking the iconic 'Earthrise' photo, who died last month while piloting a plane over the waters off Washington state, was doing a flyby near a friend's house when the fatal accident occurred, federal authorities said Tuesday.
Robert Towne, the Oscar-winning screenplay writer of 'Shampoo,' 'The Last Detail' and other acclaimed films whose work on 'Chinatown' became a model of the art form and helped define the jaded allure of his native Los Angeles, has died. He was 89.
Producers of the western movie "Rust" may have to forgo a robust economic incentive as they try to sell the film to distributors and fulfill financial obligations to the immediate family of a cinematographer who was fatally shot by Alec Baldwin during rehearsal in 2021.
Jin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, will be an Olympic torchbearer at the Paris games after recently completing his mandatory military service.
As a wave of companies rush to embed artificial intelligence into their operations, Matt Wood has noticed the technology's fastest adopters are businesses more typically described as slow to change.
As receipts tick ever higher for Canadians at the grocery store and shoppers continue to search for savings, one Canadian grocer has ended a perceived deal.
A First Nation in central Yukon is demanding the immediate halt of all mining activity in its traditional territory, and an independent investigation into the recent failure of equipment at a gold mine which it says could be catastrophic.
Billionaire heir Anant Ambani is set to marry his longtime girlfriend Radhika Merchant later this month, in a lavish ceremony widely described as the country's wedding of the year.
Across France and especially in Paris, hospitality is one of the industries that is most heavily reliant on immigrant workers.
Barry Nussbaum, a Toronto-based family lawyer who has counselled countless couples, offers advice about the details you don't want to overlook before getting married.
Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter will be charged with a federal felony connected to the sports betting scandal that spurred the NBA to ban him for life, court papers indicate.
Jessica Campbell will become the first woman to work on the bench of an NHL franchise after the Seattle Kraken hired her as an assistant coach Wednesday.
The Montreal Canadiens' annual development camp is now underway and on Wednesday, the young prospects hit the ice. Among them was a player with deep ties to Montreal: Michael Hage.
CDK Global said 'substantially all' of the nearly 15,000 car dealerships that use its software across North America are back online to its core management system, almost two weeks since a cyber incident caused a software blackout.
Transport Canada recalled various vehicles over the last week, including Kia, Toyota, Volkswagen and Porsche cars.
It used to be cash was king and that you could get a better deal if you paid for a car in full, but now many dealers want you to finance your purchase so they can make more money.
Lacey may look like just another pet chicken on Emily Carrington’s B.C. property. But she has a title her coop mates don’t: Guinness World Record holder.
Philip Kim, who competes as "B-Boy Phil Wizard," is set to make Canadian sports history this summer as the country's first-ever Olympic breaking athlete.
A new documentary filmed in Nova Scotia by marine biologist and veterinarian Dr. Chris Harvey Clark explores the increased number of white shark observations in Canadian waters.
A never-before-lived-in mansion in Whistler is on the market for $17.9 million – with the listing describing it as a 'steal for the international buyer' due to the current exchange rate, which puts the price in U.S. dollars at $13.1 million.
Irish singer Niall Horan had to ditch his car and walk to Scotiabank Arena where his concert was being held last weekend because the traffic was 'too bad' downtown.
A rave at the Ontario Science Centre was the place where Greg LeBlanc says his relationship first began with his husband Mark in 1997.
Travellers flying with WestJet continue to watch as the airline cancels more flights due to a sudden strike by its mechanics union.
The remains of a soldier from Newfoundland killed in the battlefields of France during the First World War will be laid to rest in St. John's Monday, bringing an emotional end to a years-long effort in a place still shaken and forever changed by the bloodshed.
The city is entering the final stages of resuming water service through its repaired feeder main, as water consumption continues to fall below the city’s threshold level.
Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson says that when it comes to a fat B.C. peach, there are "endless possibilities" for a fruit that signifies summer.
Five earthquakes were recorded in quick succession off the British Columbia coast on Wednesday afternoon.
Police say a suspect was arrested after an hours-long chase in B.C.’s Kootenay region that included a helicopter deployment and the closure of a highway.
Ontarians could see long lineups at LCBO stores across the province today as customers prepare for a possible strike that will close all LCBO locations for the next two weeks.
A Toronto woman who had been searching for her biological parents since she was a child finally has the answers she longed for at the age of 77.
Residents can now recycle coffee cups at home in Toronto, after years of being told not to toss these plastic-lined materials in the blue bin.
Fueling Minds, the company at the centre of an E. coli outbreak last year, is dealing with another infection.
There are plenty of local events and activities you can check out in Calgary this weekend.
Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) has filed 10 charges against a Brooks-based water management agency in connection with the death of a diver in 2022.
As receipts tick ever higher for Canadians at the grocery store and shoppers continue to search for savings, one Canadian grocer has ended a perceived deal.
Ottawa city councillor Clarke Kelly says he is not apologizing after a Kinburn daycare owner alleged he screamed and swore in front of children during a dispute that saw police called to the scene on Wednesday afternoon.
A landlord in Ottawa is facing thousands of dollars in repairs after his tenant left his only rental property damaged and disorderly.
Ireland's prime minister says he's "absolutely appalled" by an assault in the country's capital that resulted in the death of a tourist from Montreal.
In Jamaica, people were shopping for essentials and fishermen were bringing boats back to shore as they braced for the worst ahead of Hurricane Beryl.
The number of disciplinary cases against Quebec realtors accused of "financially abusing" their clients is going up.
Here's a look at some of the wild weather from around the world this past week.
A man is in police custody following the early Wednesday morning death of a woman in southeast Edmonton.
Fueling Minds, the company at the centre of an E. coli outbreak last year, is dealing with another infection.
Photos posted online Thursday morning appear to show a dead humpback whale in Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie River.
The government of Canada and Prince Edward Island's Mi'kmaq First Nations announced an agreement on Thursday to turn a pristine chain of islands with sacred cultural significance into a national park reserve.
The Halifax Regional Municipality is advising residents to avoid swimming at two Dartmouth, N.S., beaches due to high bacteria levels in the water.
One school division in Manitoba is banning cellphones from the classroom.
Assiniboine Park officials are reminding the public to be vigilant around coyotes, amid reports the canines have been getting a bit too comfortable interacting with the public.
Winnipeggers will soon be able to pair their taquitos and Big Bite hot dogs with a glass of red.
School divisions across Saskatchewan are making it known that fiscal challenges remain, despite the province's attempts at addressing capacity issues in its most recent budget.
A Regina couple who were paid $800 in compensation from Sunwing Airlines are now being taken back to court as the airline seeks to overturn the decision.
Regina police have identified 29-year-old Skylar Ochuschayoo as a suspect in the city's third homicide of the year.
Mark McCreadie’s family fears his admitted killer will harm someone else if he’s ever released from prison.
Waterloo, Ont., regional police have arrested a man in connection to a Canada Day firework incident involving a city councillor.
OpenText Corp.'s chief executive says the company plans to shed about 1,200 roles as part of a business optimization plan.
Shoppers who frequent Co-op stores in Saskatoon and the area may have to shop around to get what they need because of limited supply due to a cyberattack.
Traffic restrictions are in place for Northbound traffic exiting from Highway 16 onto Circle Drive East due to a single-vehicle collision involving a school bus.
The mother of a Saskatoon homicide victim says getting justice in her daughter’s killing has been painful.
A 33-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after a victim was attacked with a blunt object Wednesday evening in downtown Sudbury.
A northern Ontario beekeeper has lost half of her bee population – more than 1.5 million bees to be exact – due to what she believes is an acute chemical kill.
The driver of a commercial motor vehicle has been charged after police noticed something dangling underneath the vehicle.
A youth has been charged with first degree murder after emergency services responded to a Cut Line Road address between Parr Line and Tipperary Line in Central Huron, where another youth was found, taken to hospital, and later pronounced deceased.
Pro-Palestinian protestors on Western University’s campus held a rally Wednesday night, saying they aren’t going anywhere.
The province's Special Investigations Unit is investigating a fatal crash in Springwater Township.
Ontario Provincial Police laid almost 18,000 charges between June 21 and July 1.
Police arrested and charged two individuals for allegedly stealing over $5,000 worth of furniture from an Airbnb.
The former Sears building in Devonshire Mall is set to be torn down later this month.
Summer is in full swing in Windsor-Essex, with many events planned for the first weekend in July.
Ontarians could see long lineups at LCBO stores across the province today as customers prepare for a possible strike that will close all LCBO locations for the next two weeks.
Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson says that when it comes to a fat B.C. peach, there are "endless possibilities" for a fruit that signifies summer.
Three years after a man was gunned down outside a fast-food restaurant on Vancouver Island, a 42-year-old suspect has been charged with murder.
Five earthquakes were recorded in quick succession off the British Columbia coast on Wednesday afternoon.
British Columbia residents are being told to brace for a coming heat wave that could send temperatures into the high 30s and beyond, with the government reminding people to check in on their neighbours.
A swath of B.C.’s southern Interior is being told to brace for potential severe thunderstorms Tuesday.
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect Sunday for a swath of the B.C. Interior, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
One of two men accused of conspiring to kill Mounties at the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., characterized the protest as a last stand and told his mother there “will be a war” if police moved in.
With the recent moisture and cooler temperatures, fire bans and restrictions in the Lethbridge area are no longer in effect.
Plenty of tourists will descend on Lethbridge to see what the city offers. Locals, too, will have no shortage of activities this weekend.
Sault Ste. Marie native and four-time Stanley Cup champion Marty Pavelich has died.
Police and city officials say a Pride display in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., was vandalized.
A federal court hearing Wednesday saw lawyers for Elliot Lake homeowners and the Attorney General of Canada argue over the definition of nuclear mine waste.
There was relief in central Labrador Wednesday night as officials lifted a wildfire evacuation order, allowing people to return to their homes in Churchill Falls two weeks after they were asked to flee.
The union representing inshore fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador is calling on the federal government to reverse its recent decision to reopen the commercial Northern cod fishery.
As part of the emotional ceremony honouring Newfoundland and Labrador's Unknown Soldier, the province's national anthem, The Ode to Newfoundland, was sung. Military members received special permission from defence officials to salute the Ode.
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