Biden, who is 81 years old, joked about his age during a visit to a Black church in Philadelphia.
Five Democrats have called on President Joe Biden to step aside from his reelection bid due to concerns about his capacity following a halting debate performance.
President Joe Biden faced calls from some Democrats to step aside from his reelection bid as he campaigned in Pennsylvania on July 7, 2024. The pressure came after a halting performance at the June 27 debate with Donald Trump raised questions about Biden's capacity to beat Trump for a second time.
Five Democrats in the House of Representatives have publicly called for Biden to abandon his campaign, while numerous Democrats suggest Vice President Kamala Harris would be a more formidable candidate against Trump. Some national polls show Trump reclaiming the presidency for another four-year term starting in January 2025.
Biden, 81, visited a Black church in Philadelphia on Sunday and joked about his age. He said his goal is to
Some Democratic committee leaders have called for Biden to step aside from his reelection bid, while others argue he should remain the party's choice.
At least five Democratic lawmakers have publicly called for Biden to abandon his reelection campaign ahead of November.
Accuracy
Four top House Democrats, including Jerrold Nadler, Adam Smith, Mark Takano, and Joseph D. Morelle, privately urged President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 election during a meeting on July 7.
Some Democrats have suggested Vice President Kamala Harris as a potential replacement for Biden on the ticket.
Deception
(80%)
The article reports on growing pressure on President Biden to abandon his reelection bid due to concerns about his fitness for another term. It quotes several Democratic committee leaders who have called for him to step aside during a private meeting. However, it also mentions that other top Democrats argued against this and that Biden himself has no plans to leave the race. The article does not editorialize or make any author opinions explicit, but it does use emotional manipulation by implying that those calling for Biden to step down are jealous of him and his success. It also uses selective reporting by focusing on the calls for Biden to step down while mentioning in passing that others have argued against this. The article does disclose sources, but it is not clear if all of them were granted anonymity or if they wished to remain anonymous.
But several other top Democrats, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, argued just as forcefully that Biden remain the party's choice.
Calls to bow out popped up from different directions.
The conversation was wide ranging, with the committee leaders sharing various views on the situation, but there was no unanimity on what should be done.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several instances of appeals to authority and dichotomous depictions. The author reports that 'several Democratic committee leaders spoke up during the afternoon to say Biden should step aside,' but also mentions that 'several other top Democrats argued just as forcefully that Biden remain the party's choice.' This creates a dichotomy between those who want Biden to stay and those who want him to go. Additionally, the author quotes House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries as saying 'Several Democratic committee leaders spoke up during the afternoon to say Biden should step aside,' which is an appeal to authority as it implies that these unnamed committee leaders hold some sort of special knowledge or power. Another example of an appeal to authority can be found in the quote from California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff who says 'I’d be happy if both the president and Donald Trump took a cognitive test.' This implies that taking a cognitive test is somehow definitive proof of mental acuity, which may not necessarily be true.
several Democratic committee leaders spoke up during the afternoon to say Biden should step aside
I’d be happy if both the president and Donald Trump took a cognitive test.
Four top House Democrats, including Jerrold Nadler, Adam Smith, Mark Takano, and Joseph D. Morelle, privately urged President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 election during a meeting on July 7.
Accuracy
At least five Democratic lawmakers have publicly called for Biden to abandon his reelection campaign ahead of November.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The article reports on private conversations between Democratic representatives expressing their opinions about President Biden's campaign. This is not a fallacy as it is simply reporting information. However, the article does contain some inflammatory rhetoric when it describes Biden's debate performance as 'disastrous'. This could be considered a slight exaggeration and an appeal to emotion, but given the overall context of the article and the importance of accurately conveying political events, it is not egregious enough to significantly impact the score.
The private calls came as members of Congress prepared to make their way back to Washington after a weeklong recess to confront questions about Mr. Biden’s viability as a candidate and their own chances of holding the Senate and winning back the House in November.
Five House Democrats have done so, and anxiety has begun to bubble into the open among senators as well.
Joe Biden received rapturous applause at a predominantly Black church in north-west Philadelphia on Sunday morning.
'This country needs him' and 'Democracy needs him' were statements made by Mike Johnson and Paul Johansen, respectively, during the church service.
Biden was not originally scheduled to appear at the church on Sunday but did so after the National Education Association announced a strike.
Accuracy
Biden, who is facing questions about his age and acuity, was greeted warmly by the church’s founder Ernest Morris Sr, who is 91 years old.
Despite concerns about Biden’s performance in the TV debate against Donald Trump, congregants at the church were confident in his ability to win re-election.
Kim Speedwell believes Biden’s experience speaks for itself and that ‘We need four more years of his experience’.
Mike Johnson and Paul Johansen believe that ‘This country needs him’ and ‘Democracy needs him’, respectively.
Roz, a retiree, praised Biden’s Christian faith and criticized Trump for selling Bibles during the election campaign.
Five Democrats in the House of Representatives have called for Biden to step aside as presidential candidate
Numerous Democrats suggest Vice President Kamala Harris would be a more formidable candidate against Trump
Accuracy
Joe Biden visited Pennsylvania on Sunday for a campaign event
At least five Democratic lawmakers have publicly called for Biden to abandon his reelection campaign ahead of November.
Biden pledged to campaign harder and increase his political travel despite concerns about his ability to withstand the remaining four months of the campaign and four more years in the White House.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains editorializing and pontification from the author as well as quotes from Democrats expressing their concerns about Biden's candidacy. The author also implies that Biden's age is a factor in his ability to run for reelection, which can be seen as emotional manipulation and sensationalism.
Biden has vowed to continue his campaign after a halting performance at his June 27 debate with Trump in which Biden at times lost his train of thought and was unable to mount a sustained attack on the Republican presidential nominee or consistently defend his three-and-a-half-year tenure in office.
Axelrod said Biden has often beaten personal and political odds in a five-decade career in public life, but “what he can’t beat is Father Time. He’s not winning this race. It’s more likely he’ll lose by a landslide than win narrowly.”
Five Democrats in the House of Representatives have called for Biden to step aside, and numerous Democrats have suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris would prove to be a more formidable presidential candidate against Trump.
Schiff described Biden as “one of the best person-to-person politicians this country has seen, but the question is whether that is still the case.”
Fallacies
(80%)
The author makes an appeal to authority when quoting House lawmaker Adam Schiff and Senator Chris Murphy expressing their concerns about Biden's candidacy. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing Trump as a 'pathological liar' and 'immoral, indecent, unfit for office'.
House lawmaker Adam Schiff, a Democratic Senate candidate in California in the November election, told NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ show, ‘Ultimately, this is a decision President Biden is going to have to make and President Biden alone.’ But I would say this, he has been an extraordinary president. He has created millions and millions of jobs. He has expanded and strengthened our NATO alliances. He has brought back manufacturing to this country. He has brought about the most aggressive attack on climate change.
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a Biden supporter, told CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ show, 'This week is going to be really critical,' as the president hosts a meeting of NATO, the West’s main military alliance, in Washington and holds a rare news conference Thursday. Murphy described Biden as ‘one of the best person-to-person politicians this country has seen, but the question is whether that is still the case. There is a lot of anxiety in the country and party.’
Longtime Democratic strategist David Axelrod told another CNN show, ‘Inside Politics,’ that Biden is ‘dangerously out of touch.’
Bias
(80%)
The author expresses anxiety and concern from some Democrats about Biden's mental acuity and physical stamina to carry out a winning campaign against Trump. The author also quotes several Democrats questioning Biden's candidacy and suggesting Vice President Kamala Harris as a more formidable candidate.
Axelrod described Biden as 'dangerously out of touch' with his falling standing in the race against Trump.
Five Democrats in the House of Representatives have called for Biden to step aside, and numerous Democrats have suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris would prove to be a more formidable presidential candidate against Trump.
President Joe Biden speaks to supporters as first lady Jill Biden listens, at a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, July 7, 2024.
