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Despite attempting to dig himself out of the political crisis that has engulfed him since his debate debacle last month, Joe Biden appears to become more entrenched with every swing of his shovel.
Sixteen House Democrats and one Senator have so far called on the president to drop out of the race for the White House, as of Friday — with others privately expressing their doubts he can continue as the party’s candidate.
At least 19 further current and former senior party members have publicly raised doubts over whether the 81-year-old could defeat Donald Trump in November due to his perceived cognitive decline.
And, on July 11, Vermont’s Peter Welch became the first Democratic senator to call for Biden to step down, saying that the stakes “could not be higher.”
While embattled, Biden has continued to stake his claim for office, making a string of public appearances to make the case he is still fit to be commander-in-chief.
Congressional Democrats received a two-page letter from the president on July 8 from Biden declaring that he is “firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump.”
It follows six senior House Democrats telling House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — off the record — that they were calling on the president to step down, during a two-hour call on Sunday in Washington.
This list, three sources told CNN, included Representatives Jerry Nadler, Adam Smith, Mark Takano, Joseph Morelle, Susans Wild and Jim Hines. “It was pretty brutal,” a senior aide told the outlet.
Later on Monday, Smith told CNN’s Jake Tapper that Biden “should step aside.”
The consensus among those opposed to Biden remaining on November’s ballot seems to be that the party would be in better hands with Vice President Kamala Harris instead, a source told the outlet.
Here are the Democrats who have so far publicly called for the president to stand aside.
Lloyd Doggett — Texas
Doggett, 77, became the first senior party member to break rank on July 2 and call for Biden to give up the Democratic ticket to make way for a “new generation of leaders.”
It came just days after the president’s disaster debate performance against Donald Trump on June 27, which thrust his mental fitness under the spotlight.
Raúl Grijalva — Arizona
A day after Doggett called for Biden to step down as nominee, Grijalva did the same. His rationale: Democrats need to be able to “put up a fight” against Trump, he told The New York Times.
“What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race,” the 76-year-old said.
Seth Moulton — Massachusetts
On July 3, Moulton, 45, raised alarm bells that Biden would lose out to Trump come November. By Thursday he released a fully fledged statement calling for the president to bow out.
After praising the president’s service to the country, he urged Biden to “step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump,” he said in an interview with WBUR.
Mike Quigley — Illinois
Quigley, 65, spoke with MSNBC following Biden’s ABC interview on the evening of July 5 where he declared only the “Lord almighty” could usher him away from office. Quigley retracted his support for Biden and called for him to step aside.
“The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this,” he told host Chris Hayes.
Angie Craig — Minnesota
Biden’s ABC interview was also a nail-in-coffin moment for Craig, 52, who gave the call on July 6.
She maintained that she respected the incumbent president, however, she does not believe he will be able to beat Trump come election time.
“If we truly believe that Donald Trump and Maga Republicans must be stopped, there is only a small window left to make sure we have a candidate best equipped to make the case and win,” she said.
Adam Smith — Washington
After privately calling for Biden’s resignation on Sunday, 59-year-old Smith finally declared that the president should drop out in a CNN interview on July 8. He cited the inability of the incumbent to hammer home the party’s message to be the tipping point.
“Here’s the thing, we have an incredibly strong message… the president has shown he is not capable of delivering that message,” he told the outlet.
Smith also said he grew tired of the White House’s “be quiet, fall in line” message, which he added isn’t working.
Mikie Sherrill — New Jersey
Sherrill, 52, joined the chorus of congressional Democrats calling on the president to step down to allow another person to run for the nomination on July 9.
“I am asking that he declare that he won’t run for reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee,” she said in a statement.
The representative said the consequences of a Trump presidency are too grave “to stay silent”.
Pat Ryan — New York
On July 10, New York Representative Pat Ryan added to the growing list of Democratic House members to call on Biden to step aside.
As one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the Democratic caucus, Ryan told The New York Times that “I’d be doing a grave disservice if I said he was the best candidate to serve this fall.”
He added: “For the good of our country, for my two young kids, I’m asking Joe Biden to step aside in the upcoming election and deliver on the promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders.”
Earl Blumenauer — Oregon
Representative Earl Blumenauer, 75, is the latest House Democrat to call for Biden to withdraw from the race for the White House on July 11.
After giving praise to the president for his “unprecedented achievements,” he delivered a damning final blow in a statement on Wednesday.
“While this is a decision for the president and the first lady, I hope they will come to the conclusion that I and others have: President Biden should not be the Democratic presidential nominee,” he said.
Ed Case — Hawaii
Hawaii Democrat Rep Ed Case of Hawaii called for Biden to drop out on July 11.
“My guidepost is what is the best way forward for our country. I do not believe President Biden should continue his candidacy for re-election as President,” Case says.
Brad Schneider — Illinois
Representative Brad Schneider of Illinois, a leading New Democrats member, says Joe Biden should “heroically pass the torch to a new generation of leadership”.
In a statement released on July 11, before listing Biden’s accomplishments, he writes: “If the history books were to be closed today, he would unquestionably be recorded as one of our great presidents.”
“I fear if he fails to make the right choice, our democracy will hang in the balance.”
Greg Stanton — Arizona
One of Biden’s earliest 2020 supporters says it is time for him to step aside, Democrat Congressman Greg Stanton, who represents Arizona’s 4th district and was formerly the mayor of Phoenix, added his name to the roster of lawmakers calling on Joe Biden to drop out for a younger generation of candidate.
He wrote on X: “I was one of President Biden's earliest supporters in 2020, and I'm proud of the progress we've made for Arizona.
“However the stakes in this election could not be higher. For our country's sake, it is time for the President to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.”
Hillary Scholten — Michigan
Rep Hillary Scholten of Michigan also came out against a continued Biden candidacy on July 11. She wrote on X alongside a full statement: “President Joe Biden has served his country well, but for the sake of our democracy, he must pass the torch to a new candidate for the 2024 election.”
Jim Himes — Connecticut
Seconds after Biden finished speaking at his post-Nato summit solo press conference, at which he at times stumbled, Rep Jim Himes — the lead Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee — joined the calls for the president not to run again. He wrote on X: “Joe Biden’s record of public service is unrivaled. His accomplishments are immense. His legacy as a great president is secure.
“He must not risk that legacy, those accomplishments and American democracy to soldier on in the face of the horrors promised by Donald Trump.”
Scott Peters — California
Also responding to Biden’s NATO press conference was the San Diego representative, who shared a statement in which he said: “Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign.”
Peters argued that ”the stakes are high, and we are on a losing course” and added: “My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and to democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the president and those around him.
“The debate raised real concern among elected leaders, supporters, and voters that the president will not be able to wage a winning campaign. This was not a blip. And while the Biden campaign claims the post-debate national polls remain relatively unchanged, polling in the swing states has worsened alarmingly.”
Peters concluded: “We must find a candidate from our deep bench of talent who can defeat Donald Trump... [who] must be selected through a fair and transparent process.”
Eric Sorensen — Illinois
Aslo issuing a statement after Biden’s Nato presser was the Illinois Democrat, who represents parts of Rockford, Bloomington-Normal, Peoria and the Illinois side of the Quad Cities region.
In a post on X, Sorensen wrote: “President Joe Biden is a good man who has spent the bulk of his life in service to our country. His work has been devoted to growing the middle class and building opportunity for all people.
“In 2020, Joe Biden ran for president with the purpose of putting country over party. Today, I am asking him to do that again.
“It is more important than ever that our neighbors have a candidate for president who will communicate a positive vision for every person in this country.
“Someone who can demonstrate the strength and wisdom needed to lead us through the worst storms. A leader who will stand up to the present threats against democracy.
“I believe our best days are still ahead. And today, I am hopeful President Biden will step aside in his campaign for president.”
Gustaf Kilander, Oliver O’Connell and Joe Sommerlad contributed to this report
