Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a ranking member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called the “leaks” and “lack of leadership” within the Democratic Party “embarrassing” as serious doubts remain about whether President Biden can defeat former President Trump in November.
“I can’t tell you how embarrassing it is to hear leaks like this about what Democratic leadership is up to. [saying] And there is not a single person to confirm or deny it,” Omar wrote. Post to social platform X.
“This is a lack of leadership and brings the entire Democratic Party into disrepute. Whatever this mess brings, it cannot undo the damage that has already been done. May God help us all.”
Her comments came after reports emerged this week that key Democratic leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, were trying to persuade Biden to step down.
While reports of turmoil within the Democratic Party have mainly come from leaks in recent weeks, lawmakers have said in public that the final decision rests with the president.
Omar’s office did not respond to The Hill by press time about whether there was a specific incident that prompted her comment.
She posted the post less than an hour after The New York Times reported that Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) was one of several Democrats who sent a letter to Biden in early July urging him to resign.
Omar joined several prominent Democrats in calling for party unity behind the president. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a Times op-ed Saturday that Democrats should stop using “circular firing squads.”
Amid calls for her to step down, many in Congress’ progressive caucus have rallied to Biden’s defence, including Omar herself.
“I think with a few exceptions, everybody supports the president,” the congresswoman said last week. “He’s been the best president I’ve had in my lifetime and we’ll continue to support him.”
Calls for Biden to step down reportedly subsided after the assassination attempt on Trump on Saturday, but have risen again since the weekend. On Wednesday, ranking Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California told the Los Angeles Times that it was time for Biden to “pass the baton.”
The president, who has been focusing his campaign on salvaging his image among voters, returned to his Wilmington, Delaware, home on Wednesday after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Since his disastrous defeat in the presidential debate in late June, Biden has refused to heed calls to drop out of the race.
However, Biden recently said in an interview with BET that aired Wednesday that he would withdraw from the race if he was diagnosed with a “health issue.”
“If I were to develop some medical condition, and a doctor came to me and said, ‘You have this problem, you have that problem,'” Biden said.
Update: 7:02 p.m.
