President Joe Biden lost the support of lawmakers again on Saturday, the first time he has done so after failing too late to soften his criticism of Biden in an ABC News interview on Friday.
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., formally called on Biden to resign early Saturday, saying, “As an elected leader, I feel a responsibility to speak honestly about my beliefs, even when it’s hard to hear.”
Craig is the fifth lawmaker to call for Biden to step down since his disastrous defeat in the June 27 debate.
The battleground senator hails from Minnesota, which has become a surprising battleground state for former President Donald Trump as Biden stumbles and Trump gains momentum. Polls currently show Trump leading Biden by 4 points, even though Biden won the state by more than 7 percentage points in 2020.
A June poll by the respected firm McLaughlin and Associates showed Trump leading with 41 percent support, followed by Biden with 37 percent, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with 7 percent, independent candidate Cornel West with 2 percent, Green Party candidate Jill Stein with 2 percent, and Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver with 0.6 percent. The remaining 11 percent are undecided.
Inside her statementCraig praised Biden for supposedly signing his bill into law, then turned on the president.
As elected leaders, we feel a responsibility to be honest about what we believe, even if it’s hard to hear.
President Biden is a good man and I am grateful for his lifetime of service.
However, I believe he should step aside to allow the next generation of leadership to take over.
The stakes are too high… pic.twitter.com/rtZLz6riDp
— Angie Craig (@AngieCraigMN) July 6, 2024
She said:
…[G]Based on what I saw and heard at the debate in Atlanta last week, and the President’s own lack of a strong response after that debate, I do not believe the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump.
Biden’s performance in the debate drew immediate backlash from media supporters, donors, voters and Democratic elected officials, but his responses during the debate may have further damaged his standing among party leaders.
Biden appeared reluctant to attempt basic damage control, opting instead to speak with aides and family members (including Hunter Biden, the son of a convicted felon) rather than reach out to key allies.
His tightly controlled public comments after the debate did not inspire any credibility.
What was that? After a week of rest and preparation, Biden coughs, stumbles and rambles his way through debate
Courtesy of CNN Presidential Debate
Biden’s team had hoped that an ABC News interview with former Democratic activist George Stephanopoulos would calm things down.
Craig was not impressed.
“This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but there is too much at stake to jeopardize President Donald Trump’s reelection,” she continued, “which is why I respectfully call on President Biden to step down as the Democratic nominee for a second term as president and allow a new generation of leaders to move forward.”
Although Biden overwhelmingly secured enough delegates in the primaries and caucuses months ago to clinch the nomination, Craig called for a “democratic process” to replace him, but did not provide specifics.
“I believe this is an opportunity to present an open, fair and transparent Democratic process to select a new candidate who will inspire and unite our great nation,” she said, acknowledging that “we have only a short time left to secure the candidate best suited to make the case and win.”
Biden: I was sick and six days wasn’t enough time to recover, and I don’t think I watched the debate since then.
The Democratic National Convention begins on Monday, Aug. 19. Biden and his allies have been pushing to effectively formally nominate him by that date, but the burden is growing heavier by the day as support dwindles.
Things will only get worse for Biden on Capitol Hill from here: Congress reconvenes on Monday, at which point Democrats will likely be unable to continue their uncomfortable silence amid growing calls for Biden to step down.
Craig’s announcement appears to be a sign of things to come for Biden’s struggling campaign.
“The future of our country is bigger than any one of us,” she concluded her statement. “From here on out, it’s up to the president.”
Bradley Jay is Capitol Hill correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter. translation:.
