Biden insists in letter to Democrats and live TV interview he’s staying in race

President lashes out at elites' in party, saying on MSNBC's Morning Joe: Challenge me at the convention!'

Joe Biden came out swinging on Monday against critics of his calamitous June debate performance, telling Democrats in an open letter and Americans in a pugnacious live TV interview he is staying in the presidential race - rejecting growing calls to concede that at 81 he is too ineffective to beat Donald Trump and should drop out in favour of a younger candidate.

The president lashed out at elites in the party" in a live telephone interview with the MSNBC show Morning Joe, saying they were behind calls for him to quit.