Ahead of President Joe Biden’s Thursday night press conference, seven Democratic senators from North Carolina, none of whom are among 10 from across the nation who have publicly called for him to withdraw from the presidential race.
They also have not reaffirmed their support in any social media posts or press releases.
President Trump is scheduled to hold a press conference at 5:30 pm ET as NATO’s 75th anniversary summit wraps up in Washington, D.C. The embattled president has been fending off criticism, especially since his debate with former President Donald Trump in Atlanta on June 26.
North Carolina is represented by three Democrats who are retiring when their terms expire this year — Reps. Kathy Manning, Wiley Nickel and Jeff Jackson — and four others seeking reelection — Reps. Don Davis, Deborah Ross, Valerie Foushee and Alma Adams — with Davis running in what is expected to be the closest of the 14 districts.
All have remained publicly silent about Biden on social media and in press releases, but there have been hints, such as Davis saying he needed to “step up” in a media appearance.
The latest district maps project Ross, Foushee and Adams to retain their seats. Manning, Nickel and Jackson cited the district maps as reasons for not running, although Jackson chose to run for the state attorney general’s seat instead. He will face Republican Rep. Dan Bishop.
Trump, unlike his usual bombastic statements, spent an unusually quiet two weeks with the headlines focused on Biden, and, to everyone’s surprise, the mainstream media did not follow suit as Democrats tweeted at each other, 10 members of Congress publicly called for Trump to drop out of the race, and even Hollywood titans Rob Reiner and George Clooney, who support the Democratic Party, said Biden could not win the election in November if he remained the candidate.
The 10 Democrats are Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois, Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, Rep. Mickey Sherrill of New Jersey, Rep. Pat Ryan of New York and Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon.
Biden was elected to the Senate in November 1972, just five years after graduating from law school. He has served in Washington every year since, except for the four years under the Trump administration. He will turn 82 15 days after Election Day.
