While Biden campaigns in Pennsylvania, some Democratic leaders in the House say he should step aside

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President Joe Biden urged his supporters to stay unified during a series of stops in critical Pennsylvania on Sunday, even as some leading congressional Democrats privately suggested it was time for him to abandon his reelection bid because of intensifying questions about whether he's fit for another term.

Addressing a rousing church service in front of stained glass windows bathed in sunshine at Philadelphia's Mount Airy Church of God in Christ, the 81-year-old Biden joked, “I know I look 40” but “I’ve been doing this a long time.”

“I, honest to God, have never been more optimistic about America’s future if we stick together,” he said.

There and during a subsequent rally with union members in Harrisburg, Biden offered short speeches that touched on familiar topics. But he also left plenty of room for key backers to discuss standing by him. In that way, the Pennsylvania swing seemed meant to showcase support for the president from key political quarters more than proving he’s up to four more years.

His party, though, remains deeply divided.

As Congress prepares to resume this week, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries convened top committee lawmakers Sunday afternoon to assess their views. Several Democratic committee leaders, including Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut and Rep. Mark Takano of California, said privately that Biden should step aside, according to two people familiar with the meeting and granted anonymity to discuss it.

But other top Democrats, including members of the influential Congressional Black Caucus, argued just as forcefully that Biden remain the party's choice. The conversation was wide ranging, with the committee leaders sharing various views on the situation, but there was no unanimity on what should be done, the people said.

Biden was personally calling lawmakers through the weekend. He also joined a call with campaign surrogates and reiterated that he has no plans to leave the race. Instead, the president pledged to campaign harder going forward and to step up his political travel, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

One Democrat the president spoke to, Sen. Alex Padilla of California, said he and others are pushing the Biden campaign to “let Joe be Joe, get him out there.”

“I absolutely believe we can turn it around,” Padilla told The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, a person familiar with Sen. Mark Warner’s thinking said there will be no meeting on Monday to talk about Biden’s future, as had been previously discussed, and that those discussions will take place in Tuesday’s regular caucus luncheon with all Democratic senators. The person said a private meeting was no longer possible after it was made public that the Virginia Democrat was reaching out to senators about Biden, and that a variety of conversations among senators continue.

Five other, different Democratic lawmakers have already publicly called on Biden to abandon his reelection campaign ahead of November. Meeting this coming week in person means more chances for lawmakers to discuss concerns about Biden’s ability to withstand the remaining four months of the campaign — not to mention four more years in the White House — and true prospects of beating Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump.

Biden’s campaign team was also calling and texting lawmakers to try to head off more potential defections, while increasingly asking high-profile Biden supporters to speak out on his behalf..

Calls to bow out nonetheless popped up from different directions.

Alan Clendenin, a Tampa city councilman and member of the Democratic National Committee, on Sunday called for Biden to "step aside and allow Vice President Kamala Harris to carry forward his agenda as our Democratic nominee.” Director Rob Reiner, who has helped organize glitzy Hollywood fundraisers for Biden in the past, posted on X, “It’s time for Joe Biden to step down.”

The Democratic convention is fast approaching and Biden’s Friday interview with ABC has not convinced some who remain skeptical.

Democratic fundraising bundler Barry Goodman, a Michigan attorney, said he's backing Biden but, should he step aside, he'd throw his support to Harris. That’s notable since Goodman was also a finance co-chairman for both of the statewide campaigns of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has also been mentioned as a top-of-the-ticket alternative.

“We don’t have much time,” Goodman said. “I don’t think the president gets out. But if he does, I think it would be Kamala.”

There was no such suggestion at Mount Airy, where Pastor Louis Felton likened the president to Joseph and the biblical story of his “coat of many colors.” In it, Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers, only eventually to obtain a high place in the kingdom of the pharaoh and have his brothers beg him for assistance without initially recognizing him.

“Never count Joseph out,” Felton implored. Then, referring to Democrats who have called on Biden to step aside, he added, "That's what’s going on, Mr. President. People are jealous of you. Jealous of your stick-to-itiveness, jealous of your favor. Jealous of God’s hand upon your life.”

Felton also led a prayer where he said, “Our president gets discouraged. But today, through your holy spirit, renew his mind, renew his spirt, renew his body.”

After the church service, Biden visited a campaign office in Philadelphia, where Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who won a tough 2022 race while recovering from a stroke, offered a forceful endorsement.

“There is only one guy that has ever beaten Trump," Fetterman said. “And he is going to do it twice and put him down for good.”

Later stepping off Air Force One in Harrisburg, the president was asked if the Democratic Party was behind him and emphatically responded, “Yes.”

Joining him at the union event, Rep. Madeleine Dean, also a Pennsylvania Democrat, said that “democracy is on the line. There’s one man who understands it it’s Joe Biden.”

Isabel Afonso, who saw Biden speak in Harrisburg, said she was worried when she saw the president’s debate performance, but doesn’t think he should drop out of the race and that he can still win. “I know he is old, but I know if something happens to him, a reasonable person will replace him,” said Afonso, 63.

At the same event, 73-year-old James Johnson said he knew what it was like to forget things as he's gotten older but called Biden “a fighter." He said replacing the president at the top of the Democratic ticket would only cause confusion.

“I’m talking about lifelong Democrats and people that have been in the Democratic Party for a long time,” Johnson said. “They may just decide to jump ship, because of that.”

Still, others aren't fully convinced.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told CNN that Biden "needs to answer those questions that voters have” while adding, “If he does that this week, I think he will be in a very good position.”

Biden has rejected undergoing independent cognitive testing, arguing that the everyday rigors of the presidency were proof enough of his mental acuity. Yet California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff told NBC on Sunday that he'd be “happy if both the president and Donald Trump took a cognitive test.”

As some Democrats have done, Schiff also seized on Biden suggesting during the ABC interview that losing to Trump would be acceptable “as long as I give it my all.”

“This is not just about whether he gave it the best college try," Schiff said “but rather whether he made the right decision to run or to pass the torch.”

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Weissert and Mascaro reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Kevin Freking in Washington, Michelle Price in New York, Meg Kinnard in Chapin, South Carolina, and Bill Barrow in New Orleans contributed to this report.

President Joe Biden speaks to supporters as first lady Jill Biden, left, looks on at a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pa., on Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden, right, takes a photo with a supporter at a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pa., on Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden, right, greets Kahlia Brown, Miss Black Teen Pennsylvania, at a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pa., on Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks as President Joe Biden, left, listens at a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pa., on Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, from right, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visit Denim Coffee after a campaign event in Harrisburg, Pa., on Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Protesters carry signs in Harrisburg, Pa., as President Joe Biden attends a campaign event Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

President Joe Biden attends a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden, right, and pastor Dr. J. Louis Felton pray at a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden, left, and Bishop Ernest C. Morris, Sr., sit during a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden speaks at a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden speaks at a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden greets churchgoers after a service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden greets churchgoers after a service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

A protester holds a sign ahead of President Joe Biden's visit to Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

President Joe Biden, left, is greeted by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, right, and her son Langston Mullins, center, as Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., looks on in background as Biden arrives at Philadelphia International Airport to participate in a campaign event in Philadelphia, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden, left, is greeted by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, right, and her son Langston Mullins, center, as Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., looks on in background as Biden arrives at Philadelphia International Airport to participate in a campaign event in Philadelphia, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden stands between pastor Dr. J. Louis Felton, left, and Bishop Ernest C. Morris, Sr., at a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden, left, walks to greet Bishop Ernest C. Morris, Sr. at a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden, left, sits with Bishop Ernest C. Morris, Sr., at a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden, right, and pastor Dr. J. Louis Felton sit during a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Bishop Ernest C. Morris, Sr., from right, President Joe Biden, pastor Dr. J. Louis Felton and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., from left, and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker attend a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden attends a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Philadelphia (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Biden attends a campaign rally at Sherman Middle School in Madison, Wis., Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees placed DJ LeMahieu on the 10-day injured list Monday because of a lingering hip issue and recalled top prosect Jasson Domínguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

LeMahieu was placed on the IL because of right hip impingement and manager Aaron Boone said the Yankees' struggling infielder may not return this season.

“It’s been something that’s been kind of lingering on him the last couple of weeks. He’s been getting treatment on it,” Boone said. “It’s kind of better some days, worse the others."

The 36-year-old LeMahieu, a two-time batting champion is hitting .204 with two homers and 26 RBIs in 67 games. He missed New York’s first 55 games because of a fracture in his right foot that healed slowly.

LeMahieu batted .243 with 15 homers and 44 RBIs in 136 games last season and is hitting .231 since winning his second batting title during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Boone said Domínguez is a welcome addition to the lineup and will play center field and bat sixth Monday as New York opens a three-game series against Kansas City at Yankee Stadium with a half-game lead on the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East.

“I think you know my thoughts on him,” Boone said. “I’ve been a huge fan ever since I met him. Just love his makeup, his talent and he’s earned this opportunity.”

Domínguez was not initially called up when rosters expanded to 28 players on Sept. 1. Domínguez will also see time in left field, where he has played once with the Yankees and in 58 games in his minor league career.

Domínguez joins the Yankees three days after GM Brian Cashman said the team was sticking with Alex Verdugo in left. Verdugo is hitting .235 with 11 homers and 56 RBIs in 137 games this season and .302 (13 for 43) in his last 12 games.

Domínguez made his season debut and went 0 for 4 as New York’s 27th man against the Detroit Tigers in the Little League Classic last month. The 21-year-old batted .314 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs in 58 games across three minor league levels.

Signed for a $5.1 million bonus as a 16-year-old in 2019, Domínguez batted .258 with four homers and seven RBIs in eight games with the Yankees from Sept. 1-9, 2023, before tearing a ligament in his throwing elbow. He underwent surgery last September and then injured his oblique on a checked swing on June 15.

Since returning from the oblique injury July 26, Domínguez batted .309 with seven homers and 25 RBIs in 44 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“Like I said on Sept. 1 when we didn’t initially recall Jasson, he’s in the conversation every single day,” Boone said. “I think as much as anything, it’s just continuing to build the momentum he’s built here over the last few weeks, where we feel like, especially the last couple of weeks, really starting to be in the peak of the season and play at a high level. So he’s been knocking on that door since he came back and now seemed like the time to bring him.”

In other moves by the Yankees, Jon Berti was activated from the injured list after the utilityman missed 90 games with a left calf strain. Acquired in a spring training trade with the Miami Marlins, Berti hit .273 with one homer and six RBIs in 17 games before collapsing in pain a few steps out of the batter’s box in San Diego on May 24.

The Yankees also designated reliever Anthony Misiewicz for assignment. The lefty appeared in one game for the New York this season and was 3-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 44 appearances for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FILE - New York Yankees' DJ LeMahieu in action during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)