Joe Biden’s dismal performance in the first debate with Donald Trump has raised concerns about his age and fitness to be president, leading to growing calls for the president to withdraw from the Democratic Party’s nomination in November.
Biden hit back hard, telling MSNBC that “elites within my party” were behind the calls for him to resign, asserting strong support from actual voters and calling on skeptics within his party to “run against me. Go ahead. Run for president and challenge me at the convention!”
While no one has gone that far yet, a growing number of Democratic lawmakers have reportedly publicly called for Biden to resign or have done so privately. Here are some examples:
Lloyd Doggett (Texas)
The Texas veteran started first; I said last week: [Donald] President Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself. I expect him to make the hard and difficult decision to withdraw, and I respectfully urge him to do so.”
Raul Grijalva (Arizona)
Grijalva, a veteran progressive from a battleground state, is influential within the party. Following in the footsteps of Doggett, the 76-year-old Grijalva is He told the New York Times: “what [Biden] “What we have to do is take responsibility for holding onto that seat, and part of that responsibility is to withdraw from this race,” Grijalva said, adding that Democrats “have to win these races, we have to keep the House and the Senate” or else the party’s gains under Biden “will be for naught.”
Seth Moulton (Massachusetts)
The former U.S. Marine, who briefly challenged Biden in 2020, Said “President Biden has served our country well, but it is time to follow in the footsteps of one of our Founding Fathers, George Washington, and step aside to allow new leadership to emerge,” Moulton said, according to the Boston radio station. Quote A “disaster” of a discussion.
Mike Quigley (Illinois)
Busy To MSNBC On Friday, Quigley said: “Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the utmost. The only thing you can do now to cement it forever and prevent total ruin is to step down and let someone else take over.”
Angie Craig (Minnesota)
upon SaturdayFemale Member of Parliament Said“Based on what I saw and heard at last week’s debate in Atlanta, and the President’s own lack of a strong response following that debate, I do not believe the President can effectively campaign and defeat Donald Trump. That is why I respectfully call on President Biden to step down as the Democratic nominee for a second term as President so a new generation of leaders can move forward.”
Adam Smith (Washington)
“Candidates have to be able to make their case to the American people clearly, articulately and forcefully, and it’s clear that President Biden can no longer carry that burden,” she said Monday. In the interview, she also made a plea to Biden. “I’m begging him, please take a step back,” she told CNN. “I want you to think about what’s best for the party, what’s best for the county.”
report: Jerry Nadler (new york), Mark Takano (California), Joe Morrell (new york)
according to Multiple ReportsOn Sunday, Smith and three other top Democrats used a private conference call arranged by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to call on Biden to resign. Other lawmakers on the call reportedly expressed serious concerns but stopped short of saying Biden should resign.
