Four senior Democrats say Biden should quit 2024 race against Trump
By: Ken Tran (USA TODAY)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Ken TranUSA TODAY
WASHINGTON - A number of senior House Democrats said President Joe Biden should step down as their party's 2024 White House nominee on a private phone call Sunday afternoon, multiple media reported on Sunday.
At least one House member plans to go public on Monday with his concerns about Biden, according to an aide who was not authorized to speak publicly. One source told USA TODAY that House members' concerns relate to Biden's ability to handle the presidency for the next four years.
Reps. Jerry Nadler of New York, Adam Smith of Washington, Mark Takano of California and Joe Morelle of New York, all said the 81-year-old Biden should exit the presidential race against Donald Trump during the call for committee ranking members organized by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., according to the Washington Post, New York Times, Politico,NBC News, CNN and others.
Nadler is the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Smith on the Armed Services Committee, Takano on the Veterans' Affairs Committee and Morelle on the Administration Committee.
All of those lawmakers are the top Democrats on House committees. The call was held by House Democratic leadership and was attended by other top Democrats ahead of when lawmakers return to Washington on Monday for a critical week with mounting questions over whether Biden should be serving in the White House now, that he can beat former President Trump in November and then run the country for four more years until 2029, when he'd be 86.
Five other House Democrats have publicly called on the president to step aside from the 2024 race: Reps. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, Seth Moulton, D-Mass., Mike Quigley, D-Ill., Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., and Angie Craig, D-Minn.
Democrats have in public and private been discussing concerns about Biden's fitness to serve and his presidential candidacy after his shaky June 27 debate performance against Trump. The president has been adamant he will stay in the race but a small, growing number of elected Democrats over the past few days have called on the president to hand off his spot atop the November ticket.
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., the top Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, issued a statement after media reports about Sunday's party leadership call saying he "will continue doing all I can to support the Biden-Harris campaign in Virginia and across the country."
Biden sat for an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Friday in a bid to assuage concerns but Democrats still have concerns about the president's mental fitness and capacity to keep doing his job. House Democrats are expected to meet in a regular caucus meeting on Tuesday morning where a certain topic of discussion will be Biden and the 2024 presidential election.
Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook
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Looks like some Democrats are abandoning the SS Biden.
After telling us that Biden was fine, too!
Well, at least their damn eyes are open NOW, so at least that is a start.
they probably finally looked at some polls.
If Joe doesn't drop out (doubtful at best), who will Democrats vote for?
I bet it is Biden no matter how much they think he is unfit.
And for the record, as it seems unclear to some, I hope Trump drops out, too, and think he is unfit, so no need for the comments about who I criticize.
I know Democrats are famous for cheating when it comes to voting, but Philly always came through to get Biden elected senator of Delaware? That’s next level right there.
Yes but that wasn't until they moved Philadelpia out of Pennsylvania and into Delaware!
Maybe they'll both drop out (along with any VP candidates)-- and then we'll have no president?
yeah, kind of how elections don't work.
Nadler 76, Smith 59, Tarkano 64, Morelle 67
These pots calling the ketttle "too old" is hilariously ironic
Time for the old guard of both parties to leave Congress
the Uber narcissist isn’t going to go easily.
It was interesting to see him unintentionally admit what a sham the whole “ I’m running to save democracy” spiel is. He claimed he’d be fine losing, so long as he did his “goodest”. Guess democracy doesn’t mean that much to him.