WASHINGTON — Despite a week of campaign stops and interviews, President Joe Biden has struggled to quell calls from Democrats urging him to exit the 2024 race.

Nearly 35 Democrats in Congress have called for Biden to step aside, with 12 voicing their concerns on Friday alone. Donors have raised alarms, and a rally is planned at the White House by a group urging Biden to “Pass the Torch.”

“There is no joy in recognizing he should not be our nominee in November,” said Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky. “The stakes of this election are too high to risk the campaign focus being anything other than Donald Trump.”

The Democratic National Convention is just a month away, but the party is at a crossroads not seen in generations. Meanwhile, Republicans are rallying behind Trump, despite his legal troubles.

Isolating with COVID-19 at his Delaware beach home, Biden, 81, is politically isolated with a small circle of advisers. His team insists he’s ready to return to the campaign trail this week to counter Trump’s “dark vision.”

“Together, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box,” Biden said Friday. “The stakes are high, and the choice is clear.”

However, debate and passions are escalating within the Democratic Party. A donor call on Friday was described as unproductive by one participant. Democrats are divided on whether Biden should stay in the race and lack consensus on how to choose a successor.

Some favor an open nominating process, while others argue it would be unthinkable to bypass Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman, Black, and Southeast Asian vice president.

Rep. Betty McCollum explicitly endorsed Harris as Biden’s replacement, urging him to release his delegates to her.

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say Biden should withdraw from the race, according to a new AP-NORC poll. A majority believe Harris would do a good job as the top candidate.

Biden has yet to visit Capitol Hill to shore up support. Virtual conversations with various caucuses in the past week have ended poorly, with some lawmakers openly urging him to step aside.

Despite the criticism, Biden still has strong backers, including support from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ campaign arm and leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. — Agencies