BY ALEX GANGITANO AND BRETT SAMUELS
President Biden called into “Morning Joe” on Monday for a defiant interview in which he dismissed what he called “big names” and “elites” in the Democratic Party who have called for him to step aside as the nominee.
“I’m getting frustrated by the elites in the party, ‘Oh, they know so much more,’” Biden said on the MSNBC morning show. “Any of these guys that don’t think I should run, run against me. Announce for president, challenge me at the convention.”
Biden told co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski he was running regardless of what pundits and editorial boards were saying, arguing it was average voters whom he cares about.
Biden laughed off a question about whether he’d been tested for age-related illnesses and blasted former President Trump for remaining out of the public eye over the past week.
“I’m not going to care what those big names think. … Come out with me and watch people react. You make a judgment,” Biden said in his first interview since his highly anticipated interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos aired Friday.
“I’m not going to explain any more about what I should or I shouldn’t do. I am running. I am running, and if you want to stop me, come …,” he said, before Scarborough interrupted him.
The president also spoke about the enthusiastic crowds he has seen at rallies since the debate, including in North Carolina and Wisconsin, to argue that voters want him to stay in the race.
“I wanted to make sure I was right. That the average voter out there still wanted Joe Biden. And I’m confident they do,” Biden said.
“The bottom line here is we’re not going anywhere. I’m not going anywhere,” he added. “I’m not letting up, Joe. I’m not letting up even a little bit.”
A number of polls since last month’s disastrous debate have shown growing concerns about Biden’s age and Trump maintaining or growing his lead in key swing states.
Five sitting House Democrats have now called for Biden to drop out after Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) wrote Saturday on social platform X that he should step aside. She joined fellow House Democrats Reps. Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Mike Quigley (Ill.), Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.) and Seth Moulton (Mass.) in publicly calling for him to withdraw from the race. A number of senior House Democrats reportedly said Biden should drop out on a private call over the weekend.