Biden lashes out at Dem 'elites,' dares post-debate critics to 'run against me'

WASHINGTON ? President Joe Biden lashed out at Democratic critics during a phone call Monday morning into MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” slamming those who want him to withdraw from the race as “elites” and daring them to run against him.

“I’m getting so frustrated by the elites in the party – they know so much more,” Biden sarcastically told co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski

“If any of these guys don’t think I should run, run against me. Announce they’re (running for) president. Challenge me at the convention.”

More: Biden opens big week in DC by insisting he won't step down in 2024

Biden has dug in amid calls for him to withdraw from the 2024 campaign following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump a week and a half ago.

Five Democratic members of Congress have called for Biden to drop out in addition to several high-profile Democratic strategists, newspaper editorial boards, columnists and other Trump critics.

More: 'I'm the nominee': Biden calls out Democrats pushing for him to withdraw from election

To weather the storm, Biden has argued he is the choice of Democratic voters, pointing to the 14 million votes he received during this year's Democratic primary ? amounting to 87% of Democrats who cast votes. However, Biden, as the incumbent president, faced nominal opposition and didn't participate in any primary debates.

"They have chosen me as the Democratic nominee," Biden wrote in a letter to Democratic members of Congress Monday that served as a preemptive strike against potentially more detractors surfacing as Congress returned from recess. "Do we now just say this process didn't matter? That the voters didn't have a say?"

Biden, in his surprise appearance on Morning Joe, pointed to his campaign travel over the weekend including a rally last Friday in Madison, Wisconsin and visits Sunday to a predominantly Black church in Philadelphia and a campaign event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"I wanted to make sure I was right, that the average voters out there still wanted Joe Biden, and I'm confident that do," Biden said.

Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden says Democratic critics should 'challenge me at the convention'