Biden says he'd restore Roe v. Wade at start of 2nd term if re-elected - Action News
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Biden says he'd restore Roe v. Wade at start of 2nd term if re-elected

U.S. President Joe Biden provided a brief sketch Friday of what his first 100 days of a second Oval Office term would look like, as the veteran leader's re-election bid continued to face headwinds from a still-growing factionofDemocrat voices urging him to bow out.

Democrat leader provides sketch of what first 100 days of 2nd term would look like

'You made me the nominee ... and I'm not going anywhere,' says Biden

2 months ago
Duration 1:35
U.S. President Joe Biden was campaigning in Detroit, Mich., and speaking to a crowd of cheering supporters, reminding them he was committed to staying in the presidential race as the Democratic nominee. 'I'm the only Democrat or Republican who has beaten Donald Trump, ever, and I'm going to beat him again,' he said. This is in spite of critics who have been calling for Biden to step down and let someone else take his place against Trump in the next presidential election.

U.S. President Joe Biden provided a brief sketch of what his first 100 days of a second Oval Office term would look like, as the veteran leader's re-election bid continued to face headwindsFriday from a still-growing factionofDemocrat voices urging him to bow out.

The 81-year-old Biden spoke at a campaign rally held at Detroit's Renaissance High Schoolon Friday evening, playing up his support for unions and his aim to work on behalf of working people in America.

But he also spoke about what he would do at the start of a second term presuming he remains the Democratic nominee and then wins in November.

"The first bill I'm going to introduce will restore Roe v. Wade and make it the law of the land," said Biden.He added that a second term of his administration would also strengthen Social Security and Medicare, raise the federalminimum wageand get key voting-related legislation passed.

His comments did not address the congressional numbers the Democrats would need in the House and Senate to achieve his legislative priorities during a second term.

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen at a campaign event in Detroit on Friday, July 12, 2024.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at Renaissance High School, in Detroit on Friday. (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)

During the rally, Bidentook repeated aim at Donald Trump, his 78-year-old Republican rival,arguing the U.S. cannotafford another four years with his presidential predecessor at its helm.

"It's time for us to stop treating politics like entertainment and reality TV," said Biden. "Another four years with Donald Trump is deadly serious."

Biden slammed Trump's criminal conviction in a hush-money trial, statements hemadeon Russian President VladimirPutin's invasion of Ukraineand his opponent's economic record while serving in the White House.

"Do you really want to go back to the chaos of Donald Trump as president?" Biden asked the crowd at the rally.

Trump and Biden are the oldest candidates to be competing for the Oval Office. Biden is already the country's oldest sitting president.

The state of Michigan, where Biden was campaigning Friday,has been hotly contested ground in the past two presidentialelections. Trump won it by a narrow margin in 2016, while Biden took it in 2020.

Continued pressure to drop out

Biden has spent the month of July trying to deal with the fallout from a poor debate performance he had againstTrump on June 27.

Yet despite media interviews, a high-profile solo news conferenceand outreach efforts with congressional Democrats, Biden has seen as of Friday at least 19 Democrat lawmakerspublicly call for his exit from the presidential ballot.

Rep. Mike Levin of California said in a statement Friday that he believed "the time has come for President Biden to pass the torch."

Prominent donors and party supporters have also put pressure on Biden to drop out in recent days.

Yet Biden received strong statements of support from two prominent Democrats on Friday California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a soon-to-be-broadcast CBS News Sunday Morning interview,and Rep. James Clyburn, who both said they support the incumbent president.

"I'm riding with Biden no matter which direction he goes," Clyburn toldNBC's Today, whileNewsom told Sunday Morninghe's "all in" for Biden.

In Detroit, however, Biden signalled he does not intend to step away from his re-election bid.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said.

When the rally wrapped, a classic Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song played: I Won't Back Down.

With files from The Associated Press and Reuters