US President Joe Biden is standing firm against calls for him to abandon his bid for a second term, calling for “an end” to the intra-party drama that has torn Democrats apart.

Biden wrote in the two-page letter Monday that “the question of how to move forward has been well and truly aired for over a week. And it's time for it to end.”

He stressed that the party has “one job,” which is to defeat presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in November.

In the letter, which follows an ongoing dispute over his performance in a televised debate against Trump, the president said: “We have 42 days until the Democratic Convention and 119 days until the general election.

“Any weakening of resolve or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us. It's time to come together, move forward as a unified party and defeat Donald Trump.”

The letter was sent from the campaign to Democratic lawmakers as they return to Washington after the July 4 recess.

Biden followed the letter with a phone interview with MSNBC's Morning Joe, in which he insisted that “moderate Democrats” want him to stay in the race and said he was “frustrated” by calls from U.S. officials. party to withdraw. .

“They're big names, but I don't care what those big names think,” Biden said.

He threw down the gauntlet to his critics, saying if they were serious they should “announce themselves for president, challenge me at the convention” or rally behind him against Trump.

Mr. Biden's efforts to shore up a deeply anxious Democratic Party came as his members of Congress returned to Washington and faced a choice: revive the president's campaign or remove the party leader.

Top Democratic lawmakers have joined calls for Biden to step aside, despite his challenge.

At the same time, some of his staunchest supporters are redoubling their fight for the presidency, insisting there is no one better to beat Trump in what many see as one of America's most important elections of his lifetime.

It's a tenuous and highly volatile situation for the president's party. Democrats who have worked alongside Mr. Biden for years, if not decades, and cherished his life's work on policy priorities, are now asking uncomfortable questions about his political future.

This also unfolds as Biden hosts world leaders for the NATO summit this week in Washington.

Time is not on the party's side, nearly a month from the Democratic National Convention and just a week before Republicans gather in Milwaukee to renominate Trump as their presidential nominee.

Many Democrats argue that the focus should be on the former president's felony conviction in the hush money case and pending federal charges in his effort to overturn the 2020 election.

It's what Biden himself might call a turning point. As he defiantly says he'll only stand by if the Lord Almighty comes and tells him to, Democrats in the US House and Senate are deciding how hard they want to fight the president to change course, or indeed if they want to change course .

In an effort to “get on the same page,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is calling lawmakers into private meetings before he reveals his own preference, according to a source. He plans to rally Democrats whose re-election bids are most vulnerable on Monday.

But a private call Sunday of about 15 House committee members exposed the deepening of the divide, as at least four other Democrats — Reps. Jerrold Nadler of New York, Jim Himes of Connecticut, Adam Smith of State of Washington and Mark Takano of California – said privately Mr. Biden should step aside.

Mr. Nadler, as the highest-ranking member on the call, was the first person to speak up and say that Mr. Biden should step aside, one source said. He did this in awareness of his seniority and that he would allow others to join him.

Many others on the call expressed concern about Biden's ability and chances to win re-election, even if they stopped short of saying the president should drop out of the race.

Still other members, including Reps. Maxine Waters of California and Bobby Scott of Virginia, both leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, spoke strongly in support of Biden, as did Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the powerful Media Committee and Ways

A number of lawmakers seemed frustrated that senior managers were not providing direction or a way forward. One Democrat said that regardless of the decision, the situation must “end now.”

Neal said afterward that the bottom line is: Biden beat Trump in 2020 and “will do it again in November.”

The upheaval is also testing a new generation of leaders, led by Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Both New Yorkers have refrained from publicly steering lawmakers toward a path forward as they balance diverse views within their ranks.

Behind the scenes is Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, who continues to field calls seeking her advice on the situation, and is widely seen as the one to watch for any final decision on Biden's future because of her proximity with the president and his vote count. skills in party politics.

Pelosi spoke last week and said Mr. Biden's debate performance raised “legitimate” questions that he needed to answer, but that she has continued to support the president.