TAMPA, Fla. (AP) 鈥� on Monday declared herself 鈥渁ll in鈥� on President bid to remain as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, despite calls by some Democrats for him to drop out after his damaging debate performance against shook their confidence in him.
The president himself has brushed aside those calls and insisted anew on Monday that he isn't leaving the race.
鈥淔or all the talk out there about this race, Joe has made it clear that he鈥檚 all in,鈥� the first lady told a military crowd in Wilmington, North Carolina, the first of three battleground states she was visiting.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the decision that he鈥檚 made, and just as he has always supported my career, I am all in too,鈥� said Jill Biden, who teaches English and writing as a community college professor.
Later Monday, in remarks at an American Legion post in Tampa, Florida, she said her husband considers support of the military and veterans a 鈥渟acred obligation鈥� that she contended contrasts with Trump.
鈥淎s commander in chief, President Biden wakes up every morning ready to work for you,鈥� Jill Biden said. "Donald Trump wakes up every morning thinking of one person and one person only: himself.鈥�
Danny Fuqua, president of the Democratic Veterans Caucus of Florida, said Biden's ties to the military make him the clear choice in November.
鈥淭he Bidens are a military family. They are one of us. They not only see the uniform, they see the person in it," Fuqua said.
Jill Biden addressed another military audience later Monday in Columbus, Georgia, home of the Army鈥檚 sprawling Fort Moore.
Her daylong tour was part of the Biden campaign鈥檚 broader effort to rebound from the president鈥檚 halting performance against Trump in .
The debate led some congressional Democrats and others to call on him to let another candidate challenge Trump because they no longer believe the 81-year-old president is mentally and physically capable of defeating the former Republican president in November.
Jill Biden also announced the formation of an organizing group, Veterans and Military Families for Biden-Harris at her Tampa stop.
"We can鈥檛 take anything for granted. We have to meet this moment because our freedoms are at risk,鈥� she said.
The president has insisted since the June 27 debate that . He did so again on Monday in a letter to congressional Democrats and during an on-air telephone interview with MSNBC.
Jill Biden used her appearance to draw contrasts between her husband's and Trump's attitudes toward U.S. service members, veterans and their families.
The president's late son served in Iraq as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard, and the first lady's father was a Navy signalman during World War II.
鈥淭his is personal to us,鈥� she said, describing the waits to connect by phone with a service member stationed overseas or having to smile through a loved one's absence on holidays.
鈥淟et me ask you this ... Does Donald Trump know what it's like?鈥� she said.
The first lady mentioned reports that Trump, during a 2018 trip to France, referred to service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice as Trump denies making the comments.
鈥淚t's disgraceful, but it's not surprising,鈥� she said. And, noting that the Supreme Court has said presidents are immune from prosecution for acts committed while in office, the first lady said 鈥渙ur democracy cannot withstand a Trump president with virtually no limits.鈥�
鈥淢embers of our military honor their oath to support and defend the Constitution. We cannot trust Donald Trump to do the same,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou deserve a commander in chief who serves with integrity and wisdom and character, and that鈥檚 my husband, Joe Biden.鈥�
A spokesperson for Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
During the debate, Biden and Trump argued over who cares the most about veterans. Biden noted that he recently , the final resting place for U.S. soldiers who fought in World War I, which Trump notably skipped on his 2018 trip.
Trump asserted during the debate that the Democratic president is coddling migrants while neglecting the needs of veterans and service members, and he faulted Biden for the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
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Superville reported from Washington.
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Follow the AP's coverage of the 2024 election at .
Darlene Superville And Curt Anderson, The Associated Press
