Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) became the first sitting House Democrat to publicly call on President Biden to step down as the party’s standard-bearer in the aftermath of last week’s debate.
Doggett, 77, praised Biden’s performance as commander in chief but stressed that “many Americans are unhappy with the choice made in this election” and suggested keeping Biden on the ballot would threaten Donald Trump’s chances of winning.
“I represent the heart of the district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, Johnson made the difficult decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same,” he said in a statement.
“My decision to publicly express these strong concerns was not made lightly and does not in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has accomplished. Recognizing that, unlike President Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I look forward to him making the painful and difficult decision to withdraw.”
Biden’s debate performance last week prompted an outcry from Democrats expressing concern after he at times froze onstage and appeared to lose his train of thought.
Biden is expected to be effectively elected as the Democratic presidential nominee in the coming weeks ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August.
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