The president’s allies in Congress reportedly fear that association with him could drag down their own campaigns
According to a Bloomberg report, a significant number of Democratic members of Congress are considering signing a letter urging President Joe Biden to suspend his re-election campaign. Calls for Biden to withdraw from the race and step down from the presidency have intensified following his widely perceived lackluster performance in last week’s debate against Donald Trump.
Bloomberg did not disclose the names of the lawmakers involved, citing an unnamed “senior party official.”
This official indicated that Democrats are apprehensive about the potential negative impact of being associated with the unpopular and seemingly mentally diminished president on their own re-election prospects in November, potentially leading to “a Republican takeover of Washington and a presidency unconstrained by any checks from Donald Trump.”
The calls for Biden’s withdrawal have gained momentum since last Thursday’s CNN-hosted debate, during which Biden appeared disoriented and struggled to complete his sentences. On Tuesday, influential Democratic Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Jim Clyburn, in interviews with MSNBC, both addressed the possibility of Biden suffering from a mental condition. Meanwhile, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to publicly urge Biden to step down from the race.
Liberal commentators have gone further, with The Atlantic and The Hill both publishing opinion pieces on Wednesday advocating for Biden’s immediate resignation. This follows similar calls for Biden to step aside from the New York Times, Washington Post, and Chicago Tribune, all of whom have suggested that the party should choose a more mentally agile candidate to challenge Trump in November.
The White House, however, maintains that Biden does not suffer from any cognitive impairment or other degenerative conditions, attributing his lackluster performance to fatigue and a “bad cold.” On Wednesday, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates refuted a report in the New York Times suggesting that the president was considering withdrawing from the race, calling the claim “absolutely false.”
According to Politico reporter Elena Schneider, Biden informed his campaign staff on Wednesday that “no one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”
Bloomberg reported that Biden engaged in phone conversations with Clyburn and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday. The president has a busy schedule of appearances coming up, including a meeting with Democratic governors on Wednesday evening, an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Friday, and campaign events in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin over the weekend.
“We really want to turn the page on this,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday, adding that Biden’s upcoming appearances will allow Americans to “see him for themselves.”
However, multiple polls indicate that Americans have already made up their minds about Biden’s fitness for office. A survey conducted by CBS News/YouGov in the aftermath of the debate found that 72% of registered voters do not believe that Biden possesses the “mental and cognitive health necessary to serve as president.” The poll further revealed that even among Democrats, about 45% believe that he should withdraw from the race.