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MADISON, WISCONSIN —President Joe Biden, fighting to save his reelection effort, on Friday defiantly declared "I'm staying in the race" during a campaign rally in a critical battleground state, hours before a network television interview where his every answer is sure to be scrutinized for evidence of his competency and fitness to run for office.
In front of roughly 300 supporters at a Wisconsin middle school, Biden again acknowledged his subpar debate last week, saying he "can't say it was my best performance" but that amid speculation over what he would do, he had an answer: "I am running, and I'm going to win again."
"I beat Donald Trump," a forceful Biden said, as the crowd cheered and waved campaign signs. "I will beat him again."
Biden, using a teleprompter to deliver his remarks, attacked his presumptive Republican challenger almost immediately, laying into Trump by pointing out that the former president once said that "George Washington's army won the revolution by taking control of the airports from the British."
As the crowd laughed, Biden continued, "Talk about me misspeaking."
The rally preceded an interview that could be a watershed moment for Biden, who is under pressure to bow out of the campaign after his disastrous debate performance against Republican Donald Trump ignited concern that the 81-year-old Democrat is not up for the job for another four years.
The interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, being taped after a campaign rally in Madison, Wisconsin, is expected to be intensive and probing, and two people familiar with the president's efforts said he had been preparing aggressively. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning.
There was broad agreement that Biden cannot afford to have another bad day, which is how he wrote off his debate flop. It was not clear that even a so-so performance would be enough to satisfy concerns about his fitness to serve.
The White House itself was raising the stakes for Biden's interview, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying that "millions of Americans" are expected to watch.
While private angst among Democratic lawmakers, donors and strategists is running deep after Biden's damaging debate performance, most in the party have held public fire as they wait to see if the president can restore some confidence with his weekend travel schedule and his handling of the Stephanopoulos interview. It will air in full on ABC on Friday night.
But at least three House Democrats have called for Biden to step down as the nominee, with Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts expressing his concerns in a Thursday radio interview and joining representatives Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Raúl Grijalva of Arizona in seeking an alternative.
"President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding father, George Washington's footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump," Moulton told the radio station WBUR on Thursday.
While not going that far, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said in a carefully worded statement Friday that Biden now has a decision to make on "the best way forward."
"Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump," Healey said. "Whatever President Biden decides, I am committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump."
There were also a few signs of discontent at Biden's campaign rally on Friday, with one supporter on stage waving a sign that read "Pass the torch Joe" as the president walked onto the stage. His motorcade was also greeted at the middle school by a few people urging him to move on.
Many Democratic lawmakers, who are hearing from constituents at home during the holiday week, are split on whether Biden should stay or go. Lawmakers have been deeply frustrated by his campaign's response to the crisis. Privately, discussions among the House Democrats flared this week as word spread that some of them were drafting public letters suggesting the president should quit the race.
Yet pushback from other House Democrats was fierce, and none of the letters reportedly being discussed were ever made public.
Biden's reelection campaign is pushing ahead with aggressive plans despite the uncertainty. It plans to pair his in-person events with a fresh $50 million ad campaign this month meant to capitalize on high viewership moments like the Summer Olympics that begin in Paris on July 26.
Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff are scheduled to travel to every battleground state this month, while organizers are planning to knock on more than 3 million doors in July and August to do personal outreach to voters in a new $17 million effort.
Biden is scheduled to campaign in Pennsylvania on Sunday. He will also travel to southwestern states, including Nevada, after hosting the NATO summit in Washington next week, the campaign said Friday.
He'll also continue to focus his travel on the so-called "blue wall" states - Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan - that have been critical for him in the past.