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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, 4:18 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.

4:18 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

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

Jul 18, 2024, 1:07 AM EDT

Pelosi went to Biden with concerns over his candidacy: Source

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi spoke with President Joe Biden a week ago, telling the president that she and other members of the Democratic Party are concerned about him staying in the race, a source confirms to ABC News.

Pelosi told the president that the calls for him to step down from the ticket would grow, sources said.

It is possible that Pelosi could suggest Biden should step down publicly, a source said.

The news about Pelosi’s behind-the-scenes moves comes as associate Rep. Adam Schiff, who is running for Senate, spoke out publicly earlier Wednesday, saying Biden should “pass the torch.”