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By Andrew Stanton
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries discussed the 2024 election with President Joe Biden during a meeting Thursday night, he said in a letter to House Democrats.
"In my conversation with President Biden, I directly expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward that the Caucus has shared in our recent time together," wrote Jeffries, a New York Democrat.
The letter was posted to X (formerly Twitter) by Anthony Adragna, a congressional reporter for Politico.
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The Context
Biden is facing calls from a growing number of House Democrats to withdraw from the presidential race following his performance last month in the presidential debate against Donald Trump.
Sounding hoarse, Biden, 81, stumbled through several questions and seemed to lose his train of thought, doing little to quell concerns about his age among voters. Polls show Biden continuing to trail Trump in key swing states.
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What We Know
As of Friday morning, 19 Democratic members of Congress have called on Biden to step aside from the presidential race amid the concerns about his viability as a candidate.
Jeffries confirmed he met with Biden in his letter to House Democrats but offered few details about what was specifically discussed.
He wrote: "Over the past several days, House Democrats have engaged in a thoughtful and extensive discussion about the future of our country, during a time when freedom, democracy and the economic well-being of everyday Americans are on the line. Our discourse has been candid, clear-eyed and comprehensive."
He praised the president for "graciously" accepting the private meeting.
It remains unclear whether the meeting was before or after Biden held his Thursday evening press conference, in which he sought to dispel concerns about his candidacy.
During the press conference, Biden made a major gaffe when he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump."
The press conference has not stopped the Democratic defections. Afterward, three more House Democrats urged him to step aside from his campaign.
Notably, Jeffries did not say whether he believes Biden should stay in the race. He and other members of House leadership have been quieter about the president than other Democrats.
Newsweek reached out via email to the Biden campaign and Jeffries' office for comment.
Views
Bill Scher, a politics editor for The Washington Post, wrote on X, "I interpret this to mean Leader Jeffries informed President Biden how many House members plan to publicly call for his withdrawal."
"Did ChatGPT write this? It doesn't say anything," commentator Rachel Vindman wrote on X.
Meanwhile, another House Democrat, Representative Brittany Pettersen of Colorado, called on Biden to step aside on Friday morning.
"Joe Biden saved our country once, and I'm joining the growing number of people in my district and across the country to ask him to do it again," she wrote on X.
"Please pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders so we have the best chance to defeat Donald Trump, who is the greatest threat to the foundation of this country that we have ever faced," Pettersen said.
What's Next
Biden continues to dismiss calls for him to withdraw from the race and has campaign events planned. His campaign has said he had a cold on the night of the debate, seeking to downplay concerns about his performance at that event.
Updates 7/12/24, 11:03 and 11:50 a.m. ET: This story was updated with more information and background.
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