Congressional Democrats reportedly largely resisted calling for President Biden to withdraw from the race, despite privately raising concerns during an all-party closed-door meeting on Tuesday.
Lawmakers returned to Washington, D.C., this week after the Fourth of July Independence Day holiday, giving Democrats the opportunity to meet in person for the first time and discuss Biden’s dismal performance in the debate two weeks ago.
But in a sharply worded letter sent Monday, Biden stressed that he would continue his campaign and urged party leaders to refocus their criticism of former President Trump. The letter appeared to at least temporarily slow Democrats’ public calls for the president to step down. Instead, at least for now, most lawmakers are publicly toeing the party line on Biden.
Biden tells Democrats calling for him to withdraw ‘will only help Trump and hurt us’
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., (right), consults with communications director Alex Nguyen during a Senate Democrats’ press conference following a luncheon on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, July 9, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
At least 20 Democrats stood to speak during Tuesday’s roughly two-hour caucus, a moment of national existence for many considering a second term for Trump, according to the Associated Press. A person who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the caucus told the AP that most of those who spoke wanted Biden to drop out of the race.
But most Democrats who had publicly opposed Biden’s reelection campaign have since backed away, Axios reported, acknowledging it would be too hard to remove Biden from the running at this stage, just weeks before the Democratic convention in Chicago. Lawmakers who attended the meeting told The Associated Press that the conversations between House and Senate Democrats were “sombre” and “sad.”
“He said he’s going to stay. He’s our nominee and we’ll support him,” Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, the Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat, told CNN.
According to The New York Times, Nadler was one of the people who privately said over the weekend that Biden shouldn’t run, and in a conference call with colleagues on Sunday made it clear that the president should withdraw from the race. Nadler backtracked after the meeting on Tuesday, saying instead that his concerns were “misplaced” and that Biden “is going to be our nominee.”
“He’s getting the delegates. I keep telling them that,” Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri) told Politico about Biden. “He got 14 million votes. Nobody else got them.”
“I’m with my dad,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) said, according to the Associated Press. He said his constituents understand what the country has been through during the coronavirus pandemic and how Biden has navigated the crisis. “He was healthy then and he’s healthy now.”
Democrats said Sunday that this week is crucial for Biden to prove his campaign is viable.
Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat who himself briefly ran for president, said Sunday that Biden “needs to reassure the American people that he will run a vigorous campaign to defeat Donald Trump.”
Bennet confirmed to CNN on Tuesday that he told lawmakers during a private meeting that he doesn’t believe Biden can beat Trump in November.
“We have referred to the White House and both houses of Congress and I think we could lose everything,” he said.
Most Democrats voted to do nothing in full, but late Tuesday the House’s No. 7 Democrat, Rep. Mickey Sherrill of New Jersey, publicly urged Biden not to run for reelection. With Trump seeking a return to the White House, “the stakes are too high and the threats are too real to remain silent,” Sherrill said.
Among the seven who have publicly called for Biden to resign is Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, speaks as Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., listen during a press conference following Senate Democrats’ weekly policy luncheon on July 9, 2024, at the U.S. Capitol. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Biden interviewer exposes behind-the-scenes weaknesses: ‘It’s impossible not to notice’
“I can’t tell you how angry I am, the idea that we’re slowly marching towards fascism because we don’t want to hurt the feelings of someone we respect,” Smith told The Times.
Before Tuesday’s full caucus meeting, a small group of Democrats facing tough House elections in November expressed “near-unanimity” in a separate meeting that Biden “should resign,” Axios reported, citing lawmakers involved. “Some people actually shed tears, but it wasn’t for Biden,” one lawmaker told the outlet.
Most of the Democratic senators who spoke at the lunch expressed deep concerns about whether Biden could beat Trump in November’s presidential election but stopped short of saying he should drop out of the race, a person familiar with the conversations told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Several senators defended Biden.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York reiterated, “I’ve said it before, I’m with Joe.”
President Biden speaks about the 75th anniversary of NATO’s founding at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC, Tuesday, July 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Some are looking more seriously at Vice President Kamala Harris as an alternative, according to the Associated Press.
Biden spent part of Tuesday night speaking on an online call with more than 200 Democratic mayors, saying he would win reelection through “basic blocking and tackling” and bragging about calling thousands of voters, canvassing doors and posting signs in support of his candidacy, according to a campaign statement.
This comes after the president met virtually with the Congressional Black Caucus, a core member of Biden’s campaign, late Monday to thank them for their support and pledge to back them for a second term. The president is also scheduled to meet with the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whose leadership has publicly pledged its support for the president, along with the leadership of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Freshman Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas said too much is at stake to turn her back on Biden at this point in the race and that Trump’s reelection would be extremely harmful to Black people across the U.S. “We’re not going to jeopardize our freedoms to make someone feel better because they have a different name on the ballot,” Crockett said.
“I feel confident because I’ve watched more than 90 minutes of a campaign event where everyone is worried,” Crockett, who campaigned with Biden, told The Associated Press.
And Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who gave up his 2024 Democratic presidential bid a few months ago, was asked by reporters whether he felt vindicated by Democrats’ calls for Biden to step down.
“If this is proof of innocence, proof of innocence could not be more unfulfilling,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
