President Joe Biden was in Pennsylvania on Sunday to campaign in the key swing state as members of his own party continue to express concerns whether he can lead Democrats to victory over former President Donald Trump in November.

His first stop was Mount Airy Church of God in Christ, a Black church in Philadelphia, where he was showered in praise by the pastor and where he spoke for roughly six minutes. Later, he was scheduled to rally with union members in Harrisburg, Pa. 


What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden was in Pennsylvania on Sunday to campaign in the key swing state as members of his own party continue to express concerns whether he can lead Democrats to victory over former President Donald Trump in November
  • His first stop was Mount Airy Church of God in Christ, a Black church in Philadelphia, where he was showered in praise by the pastor and where he spoke for roughly six minutes. Later, he was scheduled to rally with union members in Harrisburg, Pa.
  • Prominent Democrats publicly warned the White House and the campaign they are running out of time to make their case that Biden should continue to be the party’s nominee
  • Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat likely headed to the Senate next year, said on Sunday that he believes both the 81-year-old Biden and the 78-year-old Trump should take neurological cognitive tests

“I know I only look like I'm 40 years old, but I've been around,” Biden said. “All kidding aside, you know, I've been doing this a long time, and I, honest to God, have never been more optimistic about America's future if we stick together. I really mean it.”

Early in the service, Pastor Louis Felton asked churchgoers to lock arms before declaring, “There is no election we can not win.”

“There is no enemy we can not defeat,” Felton said. “We are together because we love our president.”

Biden was greeted earlier on Sunday at the Philadelphia International Airport by Pennsylvania Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey — the latter of whom is running for reelection this year — as well as two current House members, two former House members and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker. Fetterman in particular has been an outspoken defender of Biden’s ability and leadership since the president’s calamitous debate performance late last month and the growing discussion among voters and lawmakers in Washington whether he is the right man for the job.

Fetterman, who later joined Biden and Parker on a visit to a Philadelphia campaign office, faced similar concerns when he ran for Senate in 2022 and suffered a stroke during the campaign. He recovered enough to take to the debate stage with Republican Mehmet Oz, but struggled during the debate and in public appearances for months after as he continued rehabbing. He ultimately beat Oz by around five percentage points.

"I know what it's like to have a rough debate. And I'm standing right here with you guys as your senator," Fetterman told Biden campaign staff to cheers. "And I want to just say how so proud I am to stand with the president."

Discussions of Biden's future leading the party continued on Sunday, with prominent Democrats publicly warning the White House and the campaign they are running out of time to make their case that Biden should continue to be the party’s nominee. Biden’s campaign appearances in recent days and a major Friday night interview with ABC News have done little to assuage some Democrats’ concerns.

“I don't know that the interview on Friday night did enough to answer those questions. And so I think this week is going to be absolutely critical. I think the president needs to do more,” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “I'm not advising this campaign, but if I were I would probably suggest that the president get out there and do a town hall, that he do a press conference, that he show the country that he is still the old Joe Biden.”

“I take him at his word. I believe that he can do it but I think that this is a really critical week. I do think the clock is ticking,” Murphy added.

Besides the 20-minute ABC News interview, Biden has had limited unscripted interaction with the public and the press since his strained voice and rambling, at times unclear answers at the debate sent shockwaves through the Democratic party. Two radio show hosts said they were given questions by the campaign ahead of interviews with the president last week, a practice campaign officials have said they will no longer do. 

“I support Joe Biden, period. Stop. But I know that there are a lot of voters out there that need to be convinced that Thursday night's debate performance was a bad night and ultimately… the president needs millions of votes, ” Murphy continued. “I think the president needs to make some moves this week to put himself out there in a position to answer those questions. And if he can't do that, then of course he's going to have to make a decision about what's best for the country and what's best for the party.”

Murphy said he had spoken with Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the Democratic chair of the influential Senate Intelligence Committee, but wouldn’t comment on his reported efforts to rally Senate Democrats to go to Biden and convince him to drop out this week. 

Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat likely headed to the Senate next year, said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he believes both the 81-year-old Biden and the 78-year-old Trump should take neurological cognitive tests. Biden said last week he would not entertain the idea.

“Either he has to win overwhelmingly or he has to pass the torch to someone who can. It’s as simple as that,” Schiff said, later adding he believes Vice President Kamala Harris “very well could win overwhelmingly” but that he didn’t want to discuss a replacement for Biden until and if the president made the decision to step aside.

Only a handful of House Democrats have publicly called for Biden to step aside as his polling numbers flounder and surveys show Americans are deeply concerned about his age and ability. And while a growing number are encouraging the president to seriously consider his options, he is not without his defenders in the press. Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell urged her fellow Democrats to “stop talking about this” and “get back to talking about Donald Trump and his performance and all the issues that are at stake” in a Sunday appearance on CNN even as she expressed concerns about the Biden campaign’s strategy in Michigan.

And Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who finished second behind Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, gave an enthusiastic endorsement of Biden’s ability to beat Trump and continue serving as president. He also said he would not join Warner — who he called “one of the more conservative” Senate Democrats — in any pressure campaign.

“Look, I understand. Biden had a terrible debate performance. I think he's done better since, he's got to do better again. And I know that that is a legitimate concern,” Sanders said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” “But I think most importantly, now, this is not a beauty contest, it's not a Grammy Award contest. It is a contest of who stands with the vast majority of the people in this country, the elderly, the children, working class, the poor. And that candidate is obviously Joe Biden.”

After wrapping up in Pennsylvania on Sunday, Biden will return to Washington where he will host the annual NATO summit this week and welcome the military alliance’s leaders for discussions on Ukraine, China and other pressing international issues. Biden has pointed to international crises and his effort to rally the world behind Ukraine as they fight back Russian invaders as evidence his continued leadership is needed.

“The world's looking to us. Not a joke. The world is looking to America not to carry the burden, but to lead their hopes,” Biden said in Philadelphia. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.