Live

2024 election live updates: Biden 'looking forward to getting back on campaign trail'

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

Last Updated: July 18, 2024, 9:00 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.

9:00 PM EDT

California Rep. Jim Costa urges Biden to 'pass the torch'

California Rep. Jim Costa became the 22nd member of Congress on Thursday to publicly call for President Joe Biden to end his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election.

In this Jan. 17, 2019, file photo, Rep. Jim Costa speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Harnik/AP, FILE

"For the good of the country, I think it is time for the President to pass the torch to the next generation to carry on the legacy he started," Costa said in a statement.

"Democrats need to unite and deliver their strongest team to the American people in this election," he said.

8:26 PM EDT

Biden campaign targets Project 2025 on final day of RNC

"The manifesto lays out Trump’s plan to ban abortion nationwide, slash Social Security and Medicare, and consolidate power so he can rule as a dictator on day one," Biden campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said of Project 2025 in a statement.

President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 14, 2024.
Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP

"His agenda is destructive, drastic, and draconian – and has no place in America. Now, every voter will hear about Trump's Project 2025 and show up in droves this November to defeat it," Moussa said.

The 30-second commercial features a QR code that remains on screen for 22 seconds and redirects to a page on the Biden campaign's website that scrutinized the presidential transition blueprint.

The spot is overlayed with audio of different news personalities reporting on Project 2025, including its proposals concerning civil servants and climate change.

-ABC News' Fritz Farrow

6:04 PM EDT

'It's done. ... Money will keep on drying up', Dem strategist says

The donors who have hit pause on contributing to Biden's campaign are going to hit pause for some time, a Democratic strategist close to Biden’s inner circle told ABC News Thursday.

"It's going to be brutal,” they said. “The headlines are only going to get more intense and money will keep on drying up."

While the three biggest donors to President Biden are still in, and in fact doubling and tripling down, the source claimed it cannot come close to making up for the massive hole.

"It's done," the source said about the Biden campaign’s current strategy. "We will not get the elites back on Biden’s side. The panic has taken over and the stampede is under away."

-ABC News' Selina Wang

5:15 PM EDT

1,400 Black women leaders, allies sign letter in support of Biden-Harris ticket

More than a thousand Black women leaders and allies have signed a letter in support of the Biden-Harris ticket.

In the letter, dated July 17 and addressed to the "Democratic Party leadership," the signatories say they're "writing to share our deep concern and dismay at the lack of unity being displayed by some of our elected democrats and Democratic Party leadership, who are not standing firmly and resolutely for the reelection of President Joseph Biden and his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris."

"The Biden-Harris administration is running on a solid record of historic legislative accomplishments and a commitment to finish their agenda to improve the lives of all Americans, protect our rights, freedoms and democracy," they continue, in part. "Further, we believe it is unfair and disruptive to judge President Biden for having a bad 90-minute debate performance against a serial liar who wants to destroy our democracy and be a dictator-in-chief."

"History is a great teacher and has taught us that a divided house will fail," they write. "As Black women, we are uniquely aware of the very real threat a second Trump term poses to our country and especially to our community. But this is not a moment to give in to fear. Instead, we must unify around our deep belief in our values and our ability to effectively engage voters and win up and down the ballot in 2024."

They end the letter by saying, "Now is the time for democrats to unite and win."

Some notable signers included actress Vivica A. Fox, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and LaTosha Brown of Black Voters Matters.

-ABC News' Sabina Ghebremedhin