Black lawmakers are standing by Biden at a crucial moment. But some express concern

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Congressional Black Caucus prides itself on its authority among Democrats and its influence with President Joe Biden in particular. So far, only one of its roughly 60 members have joined calls for Biden to drop his reelection bid due to concerns over his age and ability to win.

But the caucus' broad backing of the president varies widely, ranging from enthusiastic support to outright skepticism. And a small but growing number within the group are publicly expressing doubts about Biden's candidacy.

Black voters are widely credited with helping Biden clinch the Democratic nomination four years ago and then defeat Republican Donald Trump. Whether Black lawmakers stick with the president now, and how fervently they do so, could be critical in the coming days as pressure builds from the highest levels of the Democratic Party for Biden to end his campaign.

Biden’s approval ratings with Black Americans are down from when he took office, reflecting weakened enthusiasm. Among Democrats nationwide, nearly two-thirds say Biden should step aside and let his party nominate a different candidate, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.

In that same poll, Black Democrats were split on whether Biden should remain or stand down as the nominee.

For now, the CBC remains a bedrock of Biden's support. Several members have emerged as prominent defenders.

“President Biden, as I’ve said repeatedly, is our nominee,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a member of the CBC, told reporters on Friday, calling Biden “one of the most accomplished American presidents in our history.”

“He has the vision, I believe, the ability, the capacity and the track record to make a case to the American people that will result in us being successful in November,” Jeffries said.

Rep. Joyce Beatty, a former CBC chair, said Biden is fully capable of campaigning effectively enough to beat Trump.

“Not only do I believe it, I know it,” Beatty said. “Biden is at his best against the odds."

“I am a Biden delegate. I will only take directions from Joe Biden, not the Fourth Estate, not the billionaires, and not from my very influential colleagues," said Rep. Gwen Moore.

Still, a crack emerged Friday as Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas became the first CBC member to call for Biden's withdrawal. Ending his campaign, Veasey said in a joint statement with three other Democrats, is the “responsible and patriotic thing to do.”

The unprecedented upheaval over Biden's candidacy began June 27, when the president's performance in the debate against Trump stoked concerns about his age and ability to persuade doubtful voters. Biden gave meandering answers and frequently appeared to lose his train of thought as he struggled to parry Trump's attacks and make the case for his candidacy.

Democratic panic erupted immediately. As the furor deepened, Biden quickly held a virtual call with the CBC, his first meeting with a major group of lawmakers after the debate, to thank them for their support.

“You’ve had my back, and I promise I’m going to have yours,” he said.

Central to many CBC members' support of Biden is a sense that the stakes of the election mean any party infighting will harm the interests of Black Americans and the group's overwhelming priority of defeating Trump. CBC members have been adamant in private conversations that they must focus instead on mobilizing Black communities, Democrats’ most consistent voting bloc.

“What you hear and see from Black voters is a true reflection of the simple fact that in every election we are casting a survival vote,” said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist and senior advisor to Rep. Jim Clyburn, the South Carolina Democrat who endorsed Biden four years ago in his state's primary, paving the way for Biden's victory and consolidation of the Democratic field.

Clyburn, who remains one of Biden’s most influential supporters, has expressed openness to a hypothetical “mini-primary” should Biden step aside, though he later stressed he was speaking only in the hypothetical.

“We're now at a point where people are talking about, ‘Biden is too old.’ Hell, I'm older than Biden,” said California Rep. Maxine Waters, who at 85 is four years older than the president, during an appearance at the Essence Festival.

“I want to tell you, no matter what anybody else said, it ain't going to be no other Democratic candidate. It's going to be Biden and we better know it,” she added.

Before the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, Biden was set to hold a crucial week of events focused on Black and Latino voters.

But the White House canceled a planned appearance on Monday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin due to the weekend's events. Biden delivered remarks as planned at the annual convention of the NAACP on Tuesday, where he said “our politics have gotten too heated” and that Americans “must stand against all violence,” tying the attack on Trump's life to recent deadly mass shootings, police killings of unarmed Black Americans and race riots throughout the nation's history.

Then the following day, Biden's scheduled remarks to the national convention of UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights group, were canceled after he tested positive for COVID-19.

The diagnosis sidelined Biden as many in his party fretted calls for his resignation.

Much of the concern over Biden's candidacy revolves around the potential impact on all Democrats running for office.

Biden and Democrats are depending on overwhelming and enthusiastic support from Black voters to buoy their chances of victory in November, meaning high pessimism could be determinative in competitive races.

On July 10, Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York wrote on social media that the party must have “a serious reckoning with the down-ballot effect of whomever we nominate” and that the decision should be guided by “an unsentimental analysis of the cold hard numbers — which have no personal feelings or political loyalties.”

Among Black activists and civil rights leaders, there is concern about low Black voter enthusiasm as communities grapple with issues like rising living costs.

“African Americans are more concerned with the policy priorities of whoever is the next president. They also want to see a president who is going to unify this country and focus more on solutions and not create dog whistles and soundbites that cause division,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson in an interview just ahead of Biden's convention speech.

But multiple Black Democratic strategists close to the CBC contended that depressed turnout will not be an issue once Black voters mobilize around the stakes of the election and opposition to Trump, who remains largely unpopular in Black communities.

“Because we know that not all progress is permanent, and because we know that old battles have become new again, everything that we have generationally fought for still remains a top of mind fight,” Seawright said.

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Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed.