President Biden told a crowd of supporters on the Fourth of July that he has no plans to drop out of the election, despite continued struggles and gaffes during unscripted events.
The president delivered his July 4th remarks on Thursday from the White House’s South Lawn. He spoke with the aid of a teleprompter largely without incident — with the notable exception of one moment he went off-script.
“I was in that World War I cemetery in France — the one that one of our colleagues, the former president, didn’t want to go and be up there. I probably shouldn’t say,” Biden said to the White House audience. “At any rate, we got to just remember who the hell we are. We’re the United States of America.”
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First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff watch as President Joe Biden raises the hand of Vice President Kamala Harris while they view the Independence Day firework display over the National Mall from the balcony of the White House. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
But the Biden campaign is unbothered by the president’s gaffes and has doubled-down on its assertion that he will stay in the race.
At one point, a South Lawn attendee called out in support of Biden from the crowd, saying, “Keep up the fight. We need you!”
Biden responded, “You got me, man. I’m not going anywhere.”
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Supporters listen during a campaign event for President Joe Biden at The North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The president has faced increasing scrutiny and calls to drop out of the 2024 election following his widely panned debate performance on June 27 against former President Trump.
Biden, who at age 81 is the oldest president in the nation’s history, is under strict scrutiny from politicians, editorial writers, political pundits and party donors over concerns about his cognitive ability and ability to serve as the country’s commander-in-chief.
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President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, with “VOTE” printed on her dress, gesture to supporters at a post-debate campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Allison Joyce/Getty Images)
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients reportedly held an all-staff meeting Wednesday to urge team members to tune out the “noise” and focus on the task of governing.
Even as Zients acknowledged that the days since the Atlanta matchup between Biden and Trump have been challenging, the chief of staff stressed to White House aides the accomplishments and the track record of the Democratic administration and said governing will only become more crucial once the campaign season heats up, particularly after the Fourth of July holiday.
Fox News Digital’s Kendall Tietz contributed to this report.