Gov. Pritzker, Mayor Johnson double down on support for President Biden's reelection bid
Meanwhile, Congressman Mike Quigley ratcheted up his concerns.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson doubled down on their support for President Joe Biden on Tuesday.
It comes as Congressional Democrats met in Washington to talk about their concerns surrounding Biden's reelection bid.
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Pritzker made it clear Tuesday that he is unwavering in his support for Biden.
"You can see that I'm all-in for Joe Biden. Joe Biden is going to be the nominee of the Democratic Party. I'm going to go out there and wholeheartedly campaign for him," Pritzker said.
This is the first time the governor has commented on the race since he and other Democratic governors met at the White House with the president last week to discuss his path forward after the debate debacle. Pritzker called it a robust meeting and had some advice for the president.
"I said, 'You've got to get out there and talk to the American public more,'" Pritzker said. "It's important for him to answer questions and talk about the issues. Hyper important, you know? People are thinking about their own families, how they're going to deal with the kitchen table issues they've got in front of them and their personal freedoms."
Johnson also weighed in with his support for the president.
"The Biden-Harris ticket is the pathway to continue to secure the country, and I'm looking forward to doing everything I can to ensure that he gets reelected," Johnson said.
Johnson also posted on X following a call with Biden on Tuesday evening, saying, in part, "I am proud to continue supporting President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in this election and I look forward to welcoming Democrats from across the country to Chicago, the greatest city in the world, for the Democratic National Convention next month."
Earlier Tuesday, House Democrats met to discuss the president continuing in the race.
Some Democrats told ABC News it was a rough and somber meeting, and there was a sense that it is too late already to affect any change with the president insisting he is staying in the race. Leaders said it was not about trying to get everyone on the same page.
Congressman Mike Quigley ratcheted up his concerns.
"He just has to step down, because he can't win," Quigley said.
Alvin Tillery is a political science professor at Northwestern University.
"The notion that you're going to replace POTUS with someone more popular younger, more... that's going to I just, I just think that that's fantasyland," Tillery said. "And again, I think all of this stuff is just a huge waste of time and energy that's writing ads for the Republicans."
Earlier this week, Biden sent a letter to House Democrats, saying that he is the party's best chance to win in November.
