Former Obama administration official Julián Castro on Tuesday called on Democrats to replace President Biden as the party’s nominee, joining a growing chorus of concerns about Biden’s qualifications and ability to defeat former President Trump.
Castro said Trump is in a weaker position because of his personal corruption and felony convictions, while Democrats are desperate to defend Biden’s “burden” in the wake of mounting questions and reports about his poor debate performance and declining cognitive abilities.
“If you change the candidate, it’s a different story,” Castro said on MSNBC. “You can use the candidate to build a case against Trump, and it puts the spotlight on Trump’s wrongdoings, not on the Democratic side. I certainly think the Democrats have stronger options. We have people who can do a better job, including Vice President Harris. Harris was two points behind Donald Trump in the polls today, and President Biden was six points behind Donald Trump.”
“Do you think Joe Biden should drop out of the race?” MSNBC’s Chris Jansing asked.
Julián Castro called on President Biden to switch nominees.
After Pelosi acknowledged Biden’s health issues were “legitimate concerns,” the dam broke with Democrats’ support.
“I believe another Democrat has a better chance of beating Trump,” Castro said.
Castro cited Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, the first sitting Democrat to say Tuesday that Biden should not seek reelection for fear of handing the White House to Trump again.
The New York Times editorial board, the newspaper’s elite columnists, co-hosts of “The View” and several guests on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” have also called on Biden not to seek a second term.
“I don’t see a path right now for President Biden to stay in this race long term,” said Castro, who served as secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama administration and is a former mayor of San Antonio.
Castro figured prominently in the 2020 Democratic primary debates, grilling Biden about his memory. During a 2019 debate over health care, Castro accused Biden of forgetting something he’d said about his plan “two minutes ago,” a quip that drew mixed reactions from the audience.
Rep. Clyburn declares support for Kamala Harris as Democratic nominee if Biden drops out: “I’ll support her”
President Joe Biden speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2024, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on charges brought against former President Donald Trump for trying to overturn the 2020 election. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
Biden, who was just about to turn 77 at the time, was already on his way to becoming the oldest president in American history and was trying to stand out among a diverse field of Democratic primary candidates, almost all of whom were younger than him. But because of Biden’s respected status as an elder statesman in the party and as Barack Obama’s loyal vice president, the attack on his age appeared to backfire from Castro.
Biden’s rough demeanor during the debate included stumbling over his words, speaking in a raspy voice and sometimes making incomprehensible remarks. Media Chat There has been ongoing discussion within the Democratic Party over the past five days about removing Biden from the running, and so far Biden’s team has not conceded that he will remain the candidate.
“Tonight’s events were entirely predictable,” Castro wrote in a post on X the night of the debate. “Biden set himself a very low bar going into the debate and he didn’t even clear it. He seemed unprepared, wavering and not strong enough to effectively fend off a perpetually lying Trump.”
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“It’s true that he’s not the campaigner he was in 2020, and the debate is just another indicator of that,” Castro said Tuesday. “This has been expected for a long time.”
