Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent member of the progressive "Squad," offered a resolute endorsement of President Joe Biden on Monday. Speaking outside the Capitol, Ocasio-Cortez emphasized that the 78-year-old president has made it clear that he will not withdraw from the race despite concerns over his age.

According to Ocasio-Cortez, she had extensive conversations with President Biden over the weekend, where he reaffirmed his commitment to remaining in the race. She stated, "The matter is closed. He had reiterated that this morning. He has reiterated that to the public. Joe Biden is our nominee. He is not leaving this race. He is in this race, and I support him."

The congressional endorsement comes after Biden's widely criticized debate performance two weeks ago, which raised concerns among some Democrats about his ability to go head-to-head with former President Donald Trump in the upcoming November election. Democratic representatives Mike Quigley of Illinois, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Angie Craig of Minnesota, and Raul Grijalva of Arizona have publicly called on Biden to step aside.

Ocasio-Cortez, however, stressed that defeating Trump is the top priority heading into the general election. She highlighted Trump's recent convictions in a New York court, stating, "He is running against Donald Trump, who is a man with 34 felony convictions - that has committed 34 felony crimes. And not a single Republican has asked for Donald Trump to not be the nominee."

When asked about fellow lawmakers who feel they "need to see more from the president," Ocasio-Cortez responded that it is their individual determination, but her focus is ensuring a victory in November.

The support from Ocasio-Cortez comes amidst a divided Democratic party, with lawmakers evading questions and mostly defending Biden while directing criticism towards Trump. As Congress returned to session for its first full week since the debate, Democratic representatives largely stood by the president, signaling unity within the party.

As the 2020 election approaches, the endorsement from Ocasio-Cortez adds a significant voice of support for Biden, boosting his campaign's morale and countering concerns about his debate performance. The race to the White House continues to heat up, and all eyes will be on the upcoming presidential debates as the candidates jockey for the support of the American electorate.