Several Democratic lawmakers told House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries that President Joe Biden needs to step down from the 2024 campaign in a House leadership call on Sunday, CNN reported. The call was held to see where Democrats stand on Biden’s candidacy after his deplorable debate performance last month.
Some expressed concern that Democrats would lose their chance at a house majority if Biden remained in the race and many agreed that a more adept candidate is Vice President Kamala Harris, a source told CNN.
“It was pretty brutal,” a senior Democratic aide told CNN.
Among those who expressed concern in the call were Reps. Mark Takano, Adam Smith, Jim Himes, Joe Morelle, Jerry Nadler and Susan Wild. Nadler, in particular, is notable as he is one of the most senior Democrats in House, serving since 1992 and currently the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee.
Jeffries is yet to take a stance on Biden’s candidacy and has avoided sharing his own opinion on the matter, CNN reported.
A couple other Democrats publicly stated their support for Biden this weekend, but agreed that this week is crucial for the president to regain voters' trust.
“Given Joe Biden’s incredible record, given Donald Trump’s terrible record, he should be mopping the floor with Donald Trump,” said Rep. Adam Schiff in an NBC interview on Sunday. “It should not be even close. And there’s only one reason it is close, and that’s the president’s age.”
Schiff said last month’s debate “rightfully raised questions among the American people about whether the president has the vigor to defeat Donald Trump.” He urged Biden to consult with people outside his team and inner circle so he can properly assess whether he is the best Democratic candidate to run for president.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Ct., expressed similar sentiments in an interview on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, stating that this week is crucial for Biden to regain the public’s trust post-debate.
“I think the president needs to make some moves this week to put himself out there in a position to answer those questions. And if he can’t do that, then of course, he’s going to have to make a decision about what’s best for the country and what’s best for the party,” Murphy said.
Murphy added that if Biden can quell voter concerns this week, he “absolutely” can beat Trump.
Five lawmakers have now publicly called for Biden to step down: Reps. Lloyd Doggett, Seth Moulton, Raúl Grijalva, Angie Craig and Mike Quigley.
In an interview with ABC on Friday, Biden dismissed his debate performance as a “bad night” and said only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to step aside.
