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2024 election live updates: Biden cancels campaign event after COVID diagnosis

The president will be in isolation and carry out full duties, White House says.

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 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.

Biden held his first news conference since the debate Thursday evening -- taking multiple questions about his political future.


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Senators discuss upcoming briefing by top Biden campaign officials

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. spoke with ABC News Thursday morning about Thursday's scheduled lunch between Democratic senators and top Biden campaign officials.

Welch, who is, so far, the only Democratic senator to call for Biden to step aside, said the path forward involved the president persuading voters, not advisers persuading senators.

"It's a show me not tell me issue. I think for Americans it's not so much about individual senators or members of Congress," Welch said. "It's really about the challenge of everyday campaign."

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told ABC News he's putting a bit more weight into Thursday's meeting with the Biden officials.

"We are very interested to hear how they make their case," he said.

-ABC News' Rachel Scott and Allison Pecorin


10th House Democrat calls on Biden to step aside

Michigan Rep. Hillary Scholten has added her name to the growing list of House Democrats who are calling on Biden to end his presidential election bid.

The congresswoman said in a statement posted on X Thursday that it "is essential that we have the strongest possible candidate leading the top of the ticket -- not just to win, but to govern."

"The people of Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District elected me to represent them with integrity. They elected a Congresswoman they trust to speak the truth, even when it’s hard. They voted for someone who would put America's future first and stand up for what is right. That's what I am doing now," Scholten, who represents Grand Rapids, said.

She is the 10th sitting House Democrat to call for Biden to step aside.

Scholten noted that if Biden stayed in the race, she would "respect his decision," and still vote for him.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller


Biden press conference slides back an hour

The White House announced Thursday morning that the much-anticipated Biden's press conference will now start at 6:30 p.m. local time in Washington, instead of the previous 5:30 p.m. start time.

Biden has a busy day of meetings tied to the NATO summit ahead of the press conference, including a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The presser will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and is his first solo press conference in eight months.


White House confirms time Biden will speak to media Thursday

President Joe Biden will take questions from the media on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET, his first press conference since the controversy over his candidacy erupted following his debate performance.

Biden has had fewer pressers with the media than his predecessors and the last time he took questions solo was back in November 2023.

The upcoming press briefing is being held at the Washington Convention Center, where Biden will spend a third day at the 2024 NATO Summit.