Biden has retreated, but Republican attacks continue as he faces a big week

When President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he would not run for re-election, he told Americans that he believed the best thing for him was to “step down and focus exclusively on carrying out my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”

The news immediately drew attention to Vice President Kamala Harris, to whom Biden passed the baton by officially endorsing her as the Democratic nominee. However, she still has some work to do before the party’s convention next month.

Even if he does not run again and will be a classic “lame duck,” he will still have to deal with pressing issues and his every move will likely continue to be scrutinized and criticized by Republicans.

Prominent Republican Party politicians who have been calling on Biden for weeks to drop out of the 2024 presidential race are now demanding his resignation. If he is not a suitable candidate, he cannot continue in office, they claim.

Former President Donald Trump, who accepted the Republican Party nomination last week, said Biden was “certainly not fit for office” in response to the political earthquake that Biden was no longer his electoral rival.

“If he is not fit to run for office, I am not sure he is fit to serve the country and continue to hold office,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, the most powerful Republican in Congress, reiterated in remarks to ABC News on Monday.

Johnson also suggested that Harris and the Cabinet consider invoking the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which regulates when a president is deemed unable to perform the duties of his office.

Some Republicans also accused Harris of participating in a Democratic “cover-up” over Biden’s alleged lack of mental fitness.

The pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. has already released an ad that says, “Kamala was involved. She covered up Joe’s obvious mental decline. Kamala knew Joe couldn’t do the job, so she did it. Look what she wreaked: an invasion at the border, runaway inflation, the end of the American dream.”

The White House responded that Biden looks forward to “finishing his term and delivering further historic results for the American people.”

Biden, who is currently recovering from Covid-19 in Delaware, faces major tests this week: He has announced that he will give a speech to the nation on his decision to drop out of the race and will receive Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.

Although no date or time has been announced for his 2024 campaign address, Biden’s remarks will mark a significant milestone in a career that has spanned from being sworn in as one of the youngest senators to being named vice president in 2008 to the presidency in 2020 after three previous unsuccessful attempts to win the Democratic nomination.

“I think they should expect to hear from Joe Biden what has been in his heart for decades, which is a deep faith in the American people. Joe Biden is an optimist, he knows how hard Americans work, he knows what we are capable of,” Delaware Senator Chris Coons, a key Biden ally and co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign, said on CNN on Sunday.

Coons said calls by Johnson and others for Biden’s resignation were “ridiculous” and that Biden’s resignation at this time would do the nation a “great disservice.”

“I think President Biden has demonstrated over the past few weeks his ability to handle and manage complex international affairs, to continue his lifelong service and leadership in foreign policy, and to make tough decisions that help make us stronger and safer here at home,” Coons said.

“I expect President Biden will finish his term this year and there is still a lot of work to be done,” Coons said, pointing to the annual spending bills that Congress must pass and Biden’s commitment to achieving a peace plan for Gaza.

In addition to his meeting with Biden, Netanyahu will speak to Congress on Wednesday and is also expected to meet with Harris.

“I know he will put his heart and soul into it again next week,” Coons said of Biden’s ceasefire proposal to end the war between Israel and Hamas.