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2024 election live updates: Sen. Jon Tester calls on Biden not to seek another term

This comes as Biden faces calls from some Democrats to drop out of the race.

Last Updated: July 18, 2024, 4:28 PM EDT

President Joe Biden is facing a critical point in his reelection bid as Democratic calls for him to exit the 2024 race continue to mount despite his efforts to shut them down.

A poor debate performance against Donald Trump in June reignited questions about Biden's age and fitness to carry out his campaign and serve another four years. Biden has defiantly insisted he is staying the course, telling lawmakers this week he is not going anywhere.

On July 11, Biden held his first news conference since the debate -- taking multiple questions about his political future.

4:28 PM EDT

Raskin to Biden: 'There is no shame in taking a well-deserved bow'

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin sent Biden a four-page letter on July 6 urging him to reconsider his campaign and speak with Democrats about the path forward.

"There is no shame in taking a well-deserved bow to the overflowing appreciation of the crowd when your arm is tired out, and there is real danger for the team in ignoring the statistics," he wrote in the letter, obtained by ABC News.

Rep. Jamie Raskin makes a statement during a roundtable discussion on Supreme Court Ethics conducted by the Democrats of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, June 11, 2024, in Washington, D.C.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images

"Your situation is tricky because you are both our star pitcher and our Manager. But in democracy, as you have shown us more than any prior president, you are not a Manager acting all alone; you are the co-Manager along with our great team and our great people," Raskin added.

The letter was first reported by The New York Times on Thursday. Raskin confirmed to ABC News that he sent the letter.

In it, the congressman urged the president to caucus with the team.

"Hear them out. You will make the right decision," he wrote.

-ABC News' Rachel Scott and Ben Siegel

4:18 PM EDT

Biden more receptive to hearing calls to step aside: Senior administration official

While the president's inner circle and campaign are adamant that he is just as committed as ever, the president has become more receptive to hearing out calls for him to exit the race, a senior administration official tells ABC News.

Biden has also asked for polling on how Kamala Harris would do, according to the official.

There is no indication that Biden is changing his mind.

When it comes to money, the big donors in New York and California have let the team know they are not saying no, but have hit the pause button for now, the official said.

The official noted that the president is wiped and exhausted, but the COVID-19 diagnosis gives him a chance to bring people together, have conversations and think while he recovers in Delaware.

-ABC News' Mary Bruce

3:17 PM EDT

Top Biden aide: Biden 'preparing to hit the campaign trail again next week'

As President Biden faces mounting calls from prominent Democrats to drop out of the race, a member of his inner circle flatly denied reports that the president is now more open to the idea of ending his campaign.

"Anyone who has talked to Joe Biden in the last 24 hours can tell you that is not true," the senior White House official, who has spoken to Biden today, told ABC News.

The official said nothing has changed regarding Biden's candidacy and the campaign, with the exception that COVID is keeping him home.

"He is going to win the nomination and then the party is going to need to unite," the official said.

The senior official expressed anger and frustration at the criticism Biden is taking from fellow Democrats, acknowledging that the calls for the president to drop out have taken a toll and will likely cause further erosion in the polls.

This official also told ABC News that reports to the contrary are coming out of Congress, and not from those who truly know the mindset of the president.

"He is preparing to hit the campaign trail again next week," the official said.

-ABC News' Jonathan Karl

Jul 18, 2024, 5:07 AM EDT

Biden tells BET he would leave 2nd term if forced by 'medical condition'

President Joe Biden in an interview with BET said he would be open to relinquishing the presidency during his second term if health reasons dictated it, though he dismissed the possibility as unlikely.

"Only if I was told that there was some medical condition that I had, and that's not the case," the president said when asked if he would turn over power to Vice President Kamala Harris if he couldn't complete a second term.

President Joe Biden walks to his car after stepping off of Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
Susan Walsh/AP

In the pre-taped interview, which aired in full Wednesday night, Biden told BET's Ed Gordon that he would keep serving as long as the effects of his increasing age don't impact his ability to do the job.

He also acknowledged he would be willing to evaluate his capabilities on a year-to-year basis.

-ABC News' Will McDuffie, Gariella Abdul-Hakim and Fritz Farrow