WASHINGTON (AP) — Four years ago, candidate Joe Biden stood before supporters at a Detroit high school, flanked by Kamala Harris and other rising Democratic stars, and called himself a bridge to the next generation of leaders.

Biden, now a president seeking reelection, returns to the city Friday with many in his party now pleading for him to fulfill that very promise and step aside. But Biden remains defiant that he'll remain in the race despite a disastrous debate performance that triggered a wave of calls for him to end his candidacy.

During a news conference on Thursday, when asked why he no longer considered himself a "bridge" to the next generation of leaders, Biden responded that "what changed was the gravity of the situation I inherited in terms of the economy, foreign policy, and domestic division."

"We've never been here before," Biden continued. "And that's the other reason why I didn't, you say, hand off to another generation. I gotta finish the job."

In the two weeks since his debate debacle, Biden and his team have been on a relentless sprint to persuade fretting lawmakers, nervous donors and a skeptical electorate that at the age of 81, he is still capable of being president. But a spate of travel to battleground states, interviews with journalists and a rare solo news conference have done little to tamp down the angst within the party about Biden's candidacy and his prospects against Donald Trump in November.

So far, one Democratic senator and 16 House Democrats have publicly called on Biden to step aside, with the latest statements — from Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, California Rep. Scott Peters and Illinois Rep. Eric Sorensen — coming as the president's highly anticipated news conference ended Thursday night. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has indicated Biden still has a decision to make on whether to run, even though the president has made it clear he remains in the race.

Meanwhile, his reelection campaign has indirectly acknowledged that Biden's route to the White House is narrowing, saying the so-called "blue wall" of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania is now the "clearest pathway" to victory even as other battleground states like Arizona and Nevada are not out of reach.

That strategy is reflected in how Biden is redoubling his efforts in the Midwestern states, hitting Detroit nearly one week after he campaigned in Madison, Wisconsin; Philadelphia; and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Rallying enthusiasm in Detroit and among its sizable Black population could prove decisive for Biden's chances of winning Michigan, which Biden reclaimed in 2020 after Donald Trump won it in four years prior by just over 10,000 votes.

But at a critical juncture when Biden needs to consolidate support, key Democratic leaders in the state will notably be absent at Friday's event, where Biden plans to speak about the "Project 2025" agenda, a massive proposed overhaul of the federal government drafted by longtime allies and former officials in the Trump administration.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is co-chair of Biden's campaign, will be out of the state. Sen. Gary Peters, a steadfast supporter of Biden, and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who is vying for Michigan's open Senate seat, will also be absent from the event. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, whom Biden actively courted during last year's strikes and who met with him and other union leaders Wednesday, is traveling for a conference.

Meanwhile, Rep. Hillary Scholten, who is seeking reelection in a battleground district in western Michigan, joined a growing list of national Democrats who have called on Biden to step aside for another candidate.

"With the challenges facing our country in 2025 and beyond, it is essential that we have the strongest possible candidate leading the top of the ticket — not just to win, but to govern," Scholten said in a statement Thursday.

But in a swing state that he won by close to 3 percentage points in 2020, Biden continues to command support. Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell, Rep. Haley Stevens, Rep. Shri Thanedar and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler will all attend the Detroit event, which marks Biden's fourth trip to the state this year. Also planning on attending is Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer. And over a dozen Detroit-area state lawmakers signed onto a joint letter Thursday "to express our unwavering support for President Joe Biden."

"As the Detroit Caucus, we are committed to mobilizing our communities, raising awareness, and advocating for policies that benefit Black Michiganders," the state lawmakers wrote in the letter. "We encourage all our members and allies to join us in supporting President Biden and Vice President Harris."

In his return to Michigan, Biden aims to reignite the energy felt in March 2020 when appearing at Detroit's Renaissance High School. During that appearance, Biden had locked hands with Harris, Whitmer and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.

"I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else," Biden said. "There's an entire generation of leaders you saw stand behind me. They are the future of this country."

In 2016, Trump won Michigan by a thin margin attributed in part to reduced turnout in predominantly Black areas like Detroit's Wayne County, where Hillary Clinton received far fewer votes than Barack Obama did in previous elections.

Biden reclaimed much of that support four years ago, when he defeated Trump in Michigan by a 154,000-vote margin, but he has work to do. Detroit, which holds a population that is nearly 78% Black, saw a 12% turnout in the Feb. 27 primary, almost half that of the 23% total turnout in the state.

Key parts of Biden's coalition in Michigan are also upset with him over Israel's offensive following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Michigan holds the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the nation, contributing to over 100,000 people voting "Uncommitted" in Michigan's Democratic primary in February.

___

Cappelletti reported from Lansing, Michigan.