Biden still trying to save a campaign that many allies see as dead end

President Biden this weekend was in intense discussions with senior aides about returning to the campaign trail in a last-ditch effort to salvage his reelection bid despite anxious calls from fellow Democrats for him to step aside. Biden has been isolating at his beachfront home in Delaware after testing positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday. And calls from Democrats in both the House and Senate for him to drop out have only intensified. Those closest to Biden said his resolve to run for reelection had hardened in recent days despite persuasion from some of the party's top brass. However, that did not quell rumors in Washington that he would announce his withdrawal over the weekend, and even Biden's longtime allies believed his reelection campaign had hit a dead end. Just as speculation was growing that his campaign was nearing its end, Biden himself issued a statement vowing to resume campaigning next week. Vice President Harris also told Democratic donors that Biden still had a chance of winning. Biden's campaign chairwoman Jennifer O'Malley Dillon said in a rare television interview that Biden is "more determined than ever." (Jin Shi)