Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, called on President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race in an opinion piece on Wednesday, saying Americans “cannot forget” Biden’s “disastrous debate performance.”
In an editorial contributed to The Washington PostWelch wrote that while she has “great respect” for Biden, she is “concerned” about the upcoming presidential election between Biden and former President Donald Trump.
“I have great respect for President Biden,” Welch wrote. “He saved our country from a tyrant. He is a man of extraordinary decency. He cares deeply about our democracy. He is one of the greatest presidents of our time.”
Welch went on to point to Biden’s lackluster performance in the June 27 debate, where he appeared frozen, his voice raspy and he couldn’t finish his prepared closing statement without any mistakes.
My thoughts on the current state of the presidential election.https://t.co/BEaSVhKh42
— Peter Welch (@WelchForVT) July 10, 2024
“But like many across the nation, I am concerned about the November election,” Welch added. “The stakes couldn’t be higher. We cannot forget President Biden’s disastrous debate performance, and we cannot ignore or dismiss the legitimate questions that have been raised since that night.”
The Vermont senator added that while he understands why Biden wanted to run again, he believes “he needs to reevaluate whether he’s the best candidate” to beat Trump in November.
I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and he wants to do it again. But he needs to reevaluate whether he’s the best candidate to do it. In my view, he’s not.
In the interest of the country, I call on President Biden to withdraw from the race.
