Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) joined a growing list of Democrats calling on President Biden to step down and nominate another candidate.
In a brief statement, Costa became the second Democrat on Thursday alone to call on the president to drop out of the race.
Costa said Biden had been a great president leading the country through the coronavirus pandemic, but it was now time to “pass the baton.”
“I am proud of the work we’ve done to pass groundbreaking legislation that will result in real investment in our communities for the first time in decades,” he said in a statement obtained by The Hill, “but I believe it is time, in the interest of the country, for him to pass the baton to the next generation to carry on the legacy he started.”
Costa, 72, joined other Democrats in arguing that the 81-year-old president’s poor performance in the debate highlighted his inability to beat former President Trump in the election and serve another four years if re-elected.
The California Democrat said he believes Democrats “should come together in this election and deliver the strongest team possible to the American people.”
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) also called on Biden to step down. In a statement on Thursday, Tester said the president should not seek reelection, becoming the second Democrat in the Senate to do so.
After the debate caused panic within the party, several leading Democrats have signaled or explicitly called on Biden to drop out of the race, despite many of his supporters arguing he will remain in the race.
The decision to stay rests with the president, but all eyes are now on him as calls for him to pass the baton continue.
