Biden heads to Wisconsin to kick off critical weekend for campaign

Washington — President Biden is group to recreation to nan battleground authorities of Wisconsin connected Friday for a run rally, marking nan commencement of a important play for his reelection bid arsenic he seeks to assuage concerns astir his fittingness for a 2nd word sparked by his startling statement performance conscionable complete 1 week ago.

In summation to nan run arena successful Madison, Wisconsin, connected Friday afternoon, Mr. Biden will portion an question and reply pinch ABC's George Stephanopoulos, which nan web said will aerial successful afloat Friday night. The president will besides caput to Philadelphia for different run arena connected Sunday, capping nan July 4 vacation play pinch a sojourn to a 2nd battleground state.

The president's appearances are coming nether caller scrutiny pursuing his mediocre showing against erstwhile President Donald Trump, nan presumptive Republican nominee, successful nan first wide predetermination statement connected June 27. Mr. Biden blamed his capacity connected a engaged recreation schedule starring up to nan face-off pinch Trump, saying during a run arena Tuesday that he "almost fell asleep" connected shape aft making 2 trips to Europe successful June.

In a brace of power interviews that aired Thursday, Mr. Biden admitted he had a "bad debate" and that he "screwed up."

Mr. Biden's run and nan White House sought to brushwood disconnected concerns astir his lackluster capacity by insisting he had a acold and that nan statement fiasco was simply a "bad night." As portion of efforts to quiet concerns astir Mr. Biden and his age, he and Vice President Kamala Harris participated successful a call pinch run unit connected Wednesday, and they met pinch 20 Democratic governors astatine nan White House later that evening. Mr. Biden besides said pinch nan Democratic leaders of nan House and Senate, arsenic good arsenic different cardinal friends connected Capitol Hill.

The president has maintained nan aforesaid connection passim nan outreach, according to participants: he is successful nan title to conclusion Trump and will not beryllium pushed out.

"I learned from my father, erstwhile you get knocked down, conscionable get backmost up, get backmost up," Mr. Biden told "The Earl Ingram Show," which airs successful Wisconsin, successful nan power question and reply Thursday. "And you cognize we're going to triumph this election, we're going to conscionable hit Donald Trump."

Amid nan assurances, 2 House Democrats person openly called connected Mr. Biden to retreat from nan statesmanlike race: Reps. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Raúl Grijalva of Arizona. Others, meanwhile, person publically urged nan president to return steps to beryllium to voters, elected Democrats and statement donors that he is fresh for a 2nd word successful nan White House.