In response to growing doubts surrounding Joe Biden's presidential candidacy, Congressional Democrats are set to convene an emergency weekend meeting to discuss the way forward. The meeting, scheduled for Sunday and led by Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrats' leader in the House of Representatives, aims to address concerns raised by last week's debate fiasco and Biden's recent primetime television interview.

According to reports from NBC News and Bloomberg, the virtual meeting was organized following a televised interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, where Biden attempted to dispel doubts but faced criticism for his seemingly defiant attitude. The 22-minute interview, conducted from a school library in Wisconsin, saw the president referring to his poor debate performance as "a bad night" and stating that he would only withdraw from the race if "the Lord Almighty" commanded it.

However, Biden's posture during the interview appeared to reinforce concerns among Democrats who have already called for him to step down. Some party members were reportedly privately infuriated by Biden's seemingly nonchalant attitude towards the prospect of defeat against Donald Trump in the upcoming November election.

One contentious moment in the interview occurred when Stephanopoulos asked Biden how he would feel about handing over the presidency to an opponent he and his party loathed. The president's response was viewed by critics as downplaying the consequences of transferring power to someone who had sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election and had made threatening remarks against his opponents.

This emergency meeting follows a similar move made by Senator Mark Warner of Virginia prior to the interview, as he called on fellow Democratic senators to discuss Biden's candidacy. Warner has reportedly been leading an effort urging the president to step aside.

Democrats who had already publicly called for Biden's withdrawal reiterated their sentiment after the interview. Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas, the first congressman to call for Biden's withdrawal, stated that the interview only reinforced his view, expressing concern that Biden's legacy would be turning the country over to a "tyrant."

Congressman Mike Quigley of Illinois, who was the fourth to urge Biden to stand aside, found aspects of the interview disturbing and commented that it revealed that the president lacked the necessary vigor to overcome the current political deficit.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro also voiced his concerns, stating that while Biden appeared steadier in the interview compared to his debate performance, he was in denial about the decline that people could clearly see.

Notably, some Biden loyalists, including Senator Chris Coons of Delaware and Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, expressed their continued support. However, doubts even surfaced among his supporters. Congressman Ro Khanna of California, a Biden surrogate, called for complete transparency from the White House, stressing the need for the president to demonstrate his vigor and ability to fight and win the election.

As the Sunday meeting approaches, Democrats remain divided over the future of Biden's candidacy, with some pushing for him to step aside in order to secure victory against Donald Trump in November. The discussion during the emergency meeting is expected to shape the party's stance moving forward, and the outcome will be eagerly awaited by political observers across the nation.