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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 19, 2024, 1:31 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 hours and 50 minutes ago

2 more Democratic House members join calls for Biden to end campaign

Ohio Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman released a statement Friday joining the growing calls from House Democrats to Biden to step aside.

Landsman said that he spent "weeks of consideration and hundreds of conversations with constituents," before coming to his conclusion.

"It is time for President Biden to step aside and allow us to nominate a new leader who can reliably and consistently make the case against Donald Trump and make the case for the future of America," he said.

Not too long after Landsman released his statement, Rep. Zo Lofgren of California said Biden needed to step aside.

Lofgren, a longtime ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said in a letter to Biden that he provided the president with data "indicating that you in all likelihood will lose the race for President."

"Simply put, your candidacy is on a trajectory to lose the White House and potentially impact crucial House and Senate races down ballot," she said.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller

10 hours and 25 minutes ago

'I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week': Biden

Biden released a statement Friday indicating that he is not ending his campaign anytime soon.

"I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America: one where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms, and create opportunity for everyone," the president said.

Biden, who is self-isolating after contracting COVID-19, also criticized Trump's Thursday night keynote speech at the RNC, saying the former president "focused on his own grievances, with no plan to unite us and no plan to make life better for working people."

“Last night the American people saw the same Donald Trump they rejected four years ago," he said.

-ABC News' Fritz Farrow

12:07 PM EDT

3rd Democratic senator calls on Biden to step aside

Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, became the third sitting Democratic senator to call on Biden to end his reelection bid.

Heinrich said in a statement Friday, "this moment in our nation's history calls for a focus that is bigger than any one person," citing a possible Trump victory.

"By passing the torch, [Biden] would secure his legacy as one of our nation's greatest leaders and allow us to unite behind a candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump and safeguard the future of our democracy," he added.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

11:32 AM EDT

4 more Democratic House members call on Biden to step aside

A group of four House Democrats -- Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif.; Marc Veasey, D-Texas; Chuy Garcia, D-Ill.; and Mark Pocan, D-Wis. -- released a joint statement Friday calling on President Biden to step aside and end his campaign.

"Democrats have a deep and talented bench of younger leaders, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, who you have lifted up, empowered, and prepared for this moment,” the group of lawmakers wrote in their letter.

Pocan and Huffman are part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Pocan recently campaigned with Biden in Wisconsin.

Garcia is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Veasey is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and its first member to call on Biden to step aside.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller