Former Obama official defends keeping Biden on ticket: 'Presidency is more than just one man'

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Biden calls into MSNBC show, says he's 'not going anywhere'

President Biden directly took on his party critics who want him to leave the 2024 White House race, saying he's "not going anywhere."

Some lawmakers are making the case that the Biden presidency is a group effort in order to quell concerns over the president's mental sharpness and health, as the party stands in disarray with some members considering strategies to dissuade President Biden from seeking re-election.

"A presidency is more than just one man, one woman, it's an administration," former Obama administration Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" last week. "I would take Joe Biden's worst day at age 86, so long as he has people around him like Avril Haines, Sam Power, Gina Raimondo supporting him, over Donald Trump any day."

The Wall Street Journal also published a report Monday that outlined how Biden's "inner circle" – made up of Democrat donors and aides – reportedly kept his signs of aging a secret. Republicans have been more openly skeptical of Biden's closest aides around him, questioning whether Biden is really at the helm of the country's leadership at all.

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President Biden is running for re-election this year. (Getty Images)

"Donald Trump's running on common sense, on restoring common sense versus the lunacy of the last four years in the far left and the shadow government that now is running our country with Joe Biden as its figurehead. That's what he's running against," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., – a strong Trump ally – echoed Rubio's belief that there is a "shadow government" made up of tight knit Democrat strategists, aides and lawmakers helping Biden behind the scenes. 

"We’ve all known Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi and Obama’s been running the country along with [Secretary of State] Blinken and [National Security Advisor] Sullivan," Tuberville said on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures." "You can tell by Schumer’s actions, Pelosi’s actions, the first two years they were calling the shots."

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President Biden speaks at a campaign event at Pullman Yards on March 9, 2024 in Atlanta. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)

"Hopefully, the people understand that they’ve had total control, not the president but Schumer and Pelosi and all the deep state," Tubrerville continued. "The deep state’s total control over this, and hopefully we can get control of it and get the Democrats out of power and get Trump and all the Republicans running this country."

Congressional Democrats will hold caucus meetings on Tuesday regarding Biden's re-election bid as the party becomes more concerned with the president's ability to beat former President Trump in November. Lawmakers exiting the meetings have been tight-lipped, though at least one has said there is "no consensus" regarding Biden.

For his part, Biden has repeatedly stated that he will not resign from the race. He issued a public letter to House Democrats on Monday demanding an "end" to the party drama.

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Former President Obama, right, takes President Biden, center, by the wrist at fundraising event. (Christopher Gardner via Storyful)

"I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out," Biden said, according to an aide who posted his comment on X, formerly Twitter, last week.

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To prove he has the vitality to remain president another four years, the Biden-Harris campaign has organized a slew of nationwide campaign stops – including across swing states – for Biden to headline.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not hear back by press deadline. 

Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.