Biden back on campaign track after NATO summit, gaffes, donor backlash

US President Joe Biden has returned to the campaign trail, pushing ahead with his reelection bid after a mixed performance at a major news conference failed to silence calls for him to quit.

The 81-year-old gave a speech on Friday rejecting speculation that he would drop out of the US presidential race and bashing rival Donald Trump in Detroit in the rust-belt state of Michigan, a crucial battleground state that the Democrat must win in November's election.

"There's been a lot of speculation lately. What's Joe Biden going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out? Here's my answer: I am running and we're going to win. I'm not going to change that," Biden said, to chants of "Don't you quit."

The campaign event in Detroit is his fourth trip this year to the state, part of the industrial "blue wall" along with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania that were key to his 2020 win against his rival.

Biden's speech focussed on "Project 2025", a blueprint by hardline conservatives for the first days of a Trump term that Democrats have pinned on the former president, despite the 78-year-old's denials.

Calls to step down

Meanwhile, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, said he had met with Biden late on Thursday, as the number of members calling on the president to step aside rose to 20.

Jeffries said he and Biden "expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward" but did not give further details.

The president has faced a steady drumbeat of Democrats calling for him to abandon his 2024 candidacy since the June 27 debate, during which Biden often lost his train of thought and appeared tired.

But Biden has obstinately dug in and insists that he can convince voters to back him despite most polls showing him trailing the criminally convicted, twice-impeached Trump.

Democrats who called on Biden to end his reelection bid include:

- Representative Earl Blumenauer

- Representative Ed Case

- Representative Angie Craig

- Representative Lloyd Doggett

- Representative Raul Grijalva

- Representative Jim Himes

- Representative Mike Levin

- Representative Seth Moulton

- Representative Scott Peters

- Representative Brittany Pettersen

- Representative Mike Quigley

- Representative Pat Ryan

- Representative Brad Schneider

- Representative Hillary Scholten

- Representative Mikie Sherrill

- Representative Adam Smith

- Representative Eric Sorensen

- Representative Greg Stanton

- Senator Peter Welch

Donors holding funds

The concerns over Biden are also affecting Democratic donors, with Hollywood star and high-profile supporter George Clooney calling on Biden to step aside on Wednesday.

A number of other key donors have told the largest Biden campaign fund that around $90 million in pledged donations is on hold if he carries on running, the New York Times reported on Friday.

The donations to pro-Biden super PAC, Future Forward, include several eight-figure contributions, two people familiar with the matter told the NYT.

Future Forward is currently instituting a pause on major decisions until the impasse is resolved.