WASHINGTON, July  4, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - US President Joe Biden took to the
airwaves on July 4 fighting to show he is fit to run for reelection and serve
another term, trying to douse Democratic panic triggered by his disastrous
debate with Donald Trump.

As Americans gather for their Independence Day holiday, concern has swelled
over the 81-year-old incumbent's mental acuity, with rumblings within his party
about finding a replacement candidate before November's electionAnd with polls showing Republican Trump extending a narrow lead after last
week's televised showdown, Biden finds himself under pressure as never before
to demonstrate his capacity to lead.

"I had a bad night," Biden acknowledged to Wisconsin's Civic Media in a
radio interview recorded the day before it aired Thursday.

 "I screwed up. I made a mistake," he added. "That's 90 minutes on stage.
Look at what I've done in 3.5 years.

The Biden campaign has been desperate to reassure Democratic donors, voters
and lawmakers that the president's dismal performance against Trump was a
one-off.

He repeated that message in an emergency meeting Wednesday with Democratic
governors, who pledged their continued support, attendees said afterward.

 The White House has insisted Biden is "absolutely not" stepping down as the
party's presidential nominee.

 Biden himself sought to appear determined he was staying in the race,
telling his radio interviewer: "When you get knocked down, you just get back
up.
 As a signal of the international concern swirling over Biden's status,
British magazine The Economist became the latest major publication to call on
Biden to withdraw, joining The New York Times and Boston Globe whose editorial
boards this week called for the president to bow out of the race
The uncertainty simmered ahead of the embattled president's
much-anticipated television interview Friday with ABC News, an event most of
political Washington -- and perhaps the nation -- will be watching closely to
see whether Biden can indeed bounce back from his faltering debate performance.

                   All eyes will also be on a Biden campaign rally set for Friday in Madison,
Wisconsin, one of the battleground states seen as crucial for a Biden victory.
                   
                   - 'So pathetic'-
                 
 For July 4 Biden remains in Washington, where he and First Lady Jill Biden
were to host a White House barbecue with military personnel and their families.
 "As we celebrate the Fourth of July, I'm grateful for the countless service
members who are the backbone of who we are as a nation. Their service reminds
us that democracy is never guaranteed-every generation must fight to maintain
it," Biden said on X, the former Twitter
In the evening Biden delivers remarks -- again with his every move and tone
likely scrutinized -- before observing a fireworks display over Washington,
accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris.

The nation's first female VP is suddenly in the spotlight as Democrats
weigh a potential Harris candidacy.

 The 59-year-old has been unwaveringly supportive of Biden in public. But
she is performing a delicate high-wire act, cheerleading for her boss while
standing by as a leading contender to replace him if he ends his reelection bid.
 Trump, who has remained largely -- and uncharacteristically -- quiet as the
Biden crisis deepens, broke his silence Thursday in fierce fashion, unleashing
attacks on both Biden and Harris in a leaked video that he then posted on his
own Truth Social account.

 "I kicked that old broken down pile of crap" during the debate, Trump, seen
sitting in a golf cart, says in the video.

"He's quitting the race. Yep, I got him out of the race. And that means we
have Kamala," Trump says. "She's so bad, she's so pathetic."

 Biden's Wisconsin rally, and a press conference set for next week, are
aimed at proving his capacity to speak impromptu, engage with voters and
reporters, and generally to dismiss the doubts that have surged since his
debate debacle.

 Two polls released Wednesday compounded the concern, including one
post-debate survey by the Times that showed Trump with his biggest lead ever
over Biden -- 49 percent to 43 percent of likely voters.