Biden To Congressional Dems: "I Am Firmly Committed To Staying In This Race"

US President Joe Biden has circulated a lengthy letter to Congressional Democrats pledging to remain in the presidential race, despite "all the speculation in the press and elsewhere."

• Biden: "I have heard the concerns that people have... I am not blind to them. Believe me, I know better than anyone the responsibility and the burden the nominee of our party carries... I can respond to all this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I wouldn't be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024."
• Biden's letter comes as lawmakers return to Washington after the July 4 recess, with some reports that dozens of wavering Democrats could publicly announce their opposition to Biden's candidacy.
• Yesterday, four senior House Democrats - the respective ranking members of the Judiciary, House Administration, Armed Services, and Veterans Affairs committees - called on Biden to suspend his campaign, bringing the total to nine on-record calls from Dem lawmakers for Biden to step aside.
• Biden must exceed expectations at the three-day NATO summit which gets underway in Washington, DC tomorrow. Considering Biden’s widely reportedly struggles at the D-Day commemorations and G7 summit last month, press scrutiny will be intense, likely amounting to a stress test on Biden’s ability to perform basic duties of office.
• On Thursday, Biden is scheduled to deliver a press conference to wrap up the summit. Democrats who remain on the fence over Biden's candidacy will likely be looking at this event for additional data on their final decision.