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Virginia Senator Mark Warner is looking to lead a group of Democratic senators that want President Joe Biden to step aside before November’s election, The Washington Post reported.
Warner is reportedly saying to colleagues that Biden can’t stay in the race following his dismal debate performance and that he’s worried that Biden cannot run a campaign that will defeat former president Donald Trump.
In a statement to The Post, a spokesperson for the senator said: “Like many other people in Washington and across the country, Senator Warner believes these are critical days for the president’s campaign, and he has made that clear to the White House.”
Senators are now discussing the best way to share their thoughts with the president. One idea is a meeting with Biden at the White House. Some senators wish Biden to remain on the ticket, but those who argue for the meetings say it could be a venue to share their concerns.
No sitting senator, including Warner, has publicly called for Biden to step aside but in private they have spoken about their rising unease.
The Democrats face stiff competition to keep their slim Senate majority and a falling Biden may drag them down.
While there’s agreement spreading that Biden can’t remain in the race, many senators are still choosing to wait and see what happens, according to the report. Some also think that Biden’s aides are not sharing the real fallout of the debate performance with the president.
The pressure was on Biden on Friday for his Wisconsin rally and his interview with ABC News set for Friday night.
“Let me say as clearly as I can – I’m staying in the race. I’ll beat Donald Trump,” Biden said during the rally. “I beat him in 2020 ... and by the way, we’re going to do it again in 2024!”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has told senators to hold off on taking any major actions until there’s more polling on both Biden and Democrats as a party, two people told The Post.
While Warner hasn’t made any public statements regarding Biden’s debate performance, many other senators shared messages backing Biden but worried about the consequences of the debate.
Fellow Democratic Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, who’s running for re-election, said at a campaign stop that the “bottom line is, Joe Biden is our president. He’s a patriotic American. He’s done a good job. He puts others first, not himself,” according to The Progress-Index.
He added: “He had one race that was an existential race in 2020 and he had to win it. He’s racked up a great record as president.”
Three Republican congressional leaders went to President Richard Nixon in August 1974 amidst the Watergate scandal to tell him he wouldn’t survive impeachment, leading to his resignation two days later.
One Democratic senator told The Post: “I think there is a sense among many that the current path may not be sustainable for him.”
They added: “Not because of the debate alone but how well he performs in the future. He obviously has to show strength right now.”
