Former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who served with Biden in Congress for more than two decades, is calling on Democrats to pressure the president to drop out of the 2024 race following his scathing debate performance.
Harkin Speaking at Julie Gamack’s Iowa Potluck After the debate, voters perceived Trump as the candidate most “able to take control of the situation and control the outcome.”
“Of course, Mr Trump’s answers were incoherent, incomprehensible and full of lies, but they were delivered forcefully and honestly,” Mr Harkin, 84, said.
“I think every sitting Democratic senator should write Biden a letter asking him to remove his delegates and step down once the convention selects a new candidate,” Harkin added. “Maybe some state governors should do the same.”
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U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Tom Harkin share a laugh at the 36th annual Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa, on September 15, 2013. Senator Harkin’s Democratic fundraiser is one of the largest in Iowa each year. (Steve Pope/Getty Images)
“Last night was a disaster that Biden will never recover from,” Harkin said.
The Iowa Democrat said the president has been “going downhill since the State of the Union.”
“Look at how he walked and carried himself on the House floor after that speech, and look at how he walks now and uses his arms,” Harkin said. “It’s amazing!”
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President Joe Biden speaks during the CNN presidential debate at CNN Studios in Atlanta, Georgia on June 27, 2024. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Harkin’s comments came in the wake of Biden’s performance at CNN’s presidential debate on Thursday, which immediately prompted calls from within the Democratic Party for Biden to drop out of the race due to concerns about his age.
Other Democrats, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Whip James Clyburn, have supported the president, blaming his poor performance on “overpreparation.”
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US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump participate in the first presidential debate at CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on June 27, 2024. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
“Folks, I know I’m not young,” a Biden campaign ad said after the debate, “but I know how to do this job. I know right from wrong. And I know how to tell the truth.”
“And as millions of Americans know, I know that when you get knocked down, you can get back up.”
