The campaign of U.S. President Joe Biden is once again insisting that he will not step aside while facing the stark reality that many top Democrats want him to withdraw from the 2024 elections to make way for a new candidate and attempt to prevent widespread losses for the party in next November's elections.

Meanwhile, six other members of Congress have called for him to withdraw, bringing the total number now to more than twenty.

After being isolated while suffering from a COVID-19 infection at his beach house in Delaware, Biden's small inner circle has already shrunk before his stumble in the debate.

The president, who insisted that he is capable of overcoming Republican Donald Trump, is with his family and relying on a few long-time aides while considering whether to yield to the growing pressures.

Campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon admitted to a "slip" in support for the president, but insisted that he will "absolutely" remain in the race and that the campaign sees "multiple paths" to overcome Trump.

She told MSNBC's "Morning Joe": "We have a lot of work to do to reassure the American people that yes, he is older, but he is capable of winning." But she said that voters concerned about Biden's ability to lead are not turning to vote. She told Trump: “They have questions, but they are staying with Joe Biden.”

At the same time, the Democratic National Committee's Rules Committee opened its meeting on Friday, moving forward with plans for a virtual call before August 7 to nominate the presidential candidate, ahead of the party's convention later this month in Chicago.

Delaware Senator Chris Coons, one of Biden's closest friends in Congress and co-chair of the campaign, told the Associated Press, "President Biden deserves respect for having important family conversations with caucus members and colleagues in both the House and Senate and Democratic leadership, rather than fighting leaks and press releases."

It is a few pivotal days for the president and his party: Trump wrapped up the enthusiastic Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The Democrats, racing against time, are considering the unusual possibility of Biden stepping aside for a new presidential candidate before their own convention.

Amidst this turmoil, a majority of Democrats believe that U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris would make a good president herself.

A poll conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that about six in ten Democrats believe Harris would do a good job in the top role. About two in ten Democrats do not believe she would, while two more in ten say they do not know enough to say.

Top Democrats are making a crucial push for Biden to reconsider his candidacy, as former President Barack Obama expressed concerns to his allies, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately told Biden that the party could lose control of the House if he won and distanced himself from the 2024 race.

New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich called on Biden to exit the race on Friday, making him the third Democratic senator to do so.

Heinrich, who is seeking reelection this year, said: "By passing the torch, he will secure his legacy as one of the greatest leaders of our nation and allow us to unite behind a candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump and protect the future of our democracy."

On Friday, Representatives Jared Hoffman, Mark Fizzy, Chuy Garcia, and Mark Pocan __ who represent a wide range of party groups __ together called on Biden to step down.

They wrote: "We must defeat Donald Trump to save our democracy."

Separately, Illinois Representative Sean Casten wrote in an op-ed that "with a heavy heart and a lot of personal reflection," he was also calling on Biden to "pass the torch to a new generation."

Campaign officials said that Biden was more committed to staying in the race despite calls for him to leave. Senior aides in the West Wing have held no discussions or internal conversations with the president about Biden's withdrawal.

On Friday, Biden received a major endorsement from the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. CHC BOLD PAC stated that the Biden administration has shown "steadfast commitment" to Latino communities and that "the stakes couldn't be higher" in this election. The group said, “President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have served the Latino community.”

But there is also time for reconsideration. Biden has been informed that the campaign is struggling to raise funds, and top Democrats see an opportunity with him away from the campaign for a few days to encourage his exit. Some in his administration have expressed their surrender to the likelihood of his defeat in November.

The reports in this story are partially based on information from about ten people who insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive private deliberations. The Washington Post was the first to report on Obama's involvement.

The White House said that Biden's (81 years old) COVID-19 test result was positive while he was traveling to Las Vegas earlier this week and is experiencing "mild symptoms" including "general malaise" from the infection.

The president himself rejected, in a radio interview recorded just before his positive test result came in, the idea that it was too late for him to politically recover, telling Univision's Luis Sandoval that many people are not focusing on the November elections until September.

In an excerpt from the interview published on Thursday, he said: “All the talk about who leads and where and how, you know, everything up until now between me and Trump has been essentially even.”

But in Congress, Democratic lawmakers have begun having private talks about rallying behind Harris as an alternative. One lawmaker said that Biden's advisers are unable to reach a unanimous recommendation on what he should do. More in Congress are considering joining others in calling for Biden to withdraw. Some prefer an open process to select a new presidential candidate.

Vermont Senator Peter Welch, another Democratic senator who has publicly said Biden should exit the race, said: "Clearly, the issue is not going away." Welch said the current state of party anxiety – with lawmakers in a panic and donors rebelling – “is not sustainable.”

However, influential Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are sending signals of deep concern.

Many certainly want Biden to stay in the race. But among Democrats nationwide, nearly two-thirds say Biden should step aside and allow his party to nominate a different candidate, according to a poll conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. This sharply undercuts Biden's claim after the debate that "regular Democrats" are still with him.