Biden blasts ‘elites’ urging him to exit race in surprise interview

President Joe Biden defended his place at the top of the Democratic ticket Monday in a surprise television interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," after more lawmakers and donors came forward over the weekend with concerns about his reelection bid.

"I'm not going anywhere," Biden said in the phone interview. "I absolutely believe that I am the best candidate to beat Donald Trump in 2024."

"I'm getting so frustrated by the elites in the party" calling on him to step down, the president fumed. "I don't care what the millionaires think."

Since Biden's disastrous debate performance on June 27, various Democratic donors have been sounding the alarm on whether he can beat former President Donald Trump in November.

Biden insisted to hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski that the concerns of his wealthy backers would not dictate his political future.

"I want their support, but that's not the reason I'm running," Biden said. "I'm not running about what they think and what they care about. And by the way, you don't see a whole hell of a lot of them flocking to Trump. You don't see a whole lot of CEOs flocking to Trump."

"I'm not going to explain any more about what I should or shouldn't do," the president added defiantly. "I am running. I am running,"

Biden's comments came after a weekend where his political wounds appeared to deepen. Despite his campaign's efforts to stem the bleeding, more lawmakers, donors and strategists went public with their doubts.

During a meeting of senior House Democrats on Sunday, four more top Democrats told party leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York that Biden should exit the 2024 race, according to NBC News: Reps. Adam Smith, Wash., Jerry Nadler, N.Y., Mark Takano, Calif. and Joe Morelle, N.Y.

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