So far, five House Democrats have called on Joe Biden to step out of the 2024 presidential race since his disastrous debate last week.
The latest was Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), who on Saturday called for Biden to step out of the 2024 race in a statement posted to X following his interview with ABC News that aired Friday.
“I have great respect for President Biden’s decades of service to our nation and his steadfast commitment to making our country a better place,” Craig said in the statement.
As an elected leader, I feel a responsibility to be honest about what I believe, even when it’s hard to hear.
President Biden is a good man & I appreciate his lifetime of service.
But I believe he should step aside for the next generation of leadership.
The stakes are too… pic.twitter.com/rtZLz6riDp
— Angie Craig (@AngieCraigMN) July 6, 2024
“However, given what I saw and heard from the President during last week’s debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the President himself following that debate, I do not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against [former President] Donald Trump,” Craig said later.
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-N.Y.) likewise called for Biden to bow out of the race on Friday in an interview with MSNBC.
“I would say, Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. 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 said.
BREAKING: Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) calls on Biden to exit the race:
“Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. 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… pic.twitter.com/tnWOxja5lF
— All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) July 5, 2024
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) on Wednesday told the New York Times that the presidential debate presented an “opportunity to look elsewhere.”
“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,” said Grijalva.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) piled on Thursday, telling a local radio affiliate that Biden should “step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump.”
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) was the first House Democrat to call for Biden to leave the race on Tuesday.
“Too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory — too great a risk to assume that what could not be turned around in a year, was not turned around in the debate, can be turned around now,” Doggett said in a statement. “President Biden saved our democracy by delivering us from Trump in 2020. He must not deliver us to Trump in 2024.”
But it’s not just House Democrats who want Biden out.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is reportedly attempting to assemble a group of Democratic senators to ask Biden to exit the presidential race.
Biden defiantly reaffirmed his commitment to remain in the race during his interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos despite growing objections from media outlets, pundits and Democrat lawmakers.
Let me say this as clearly as I can:
I’m the sitting President of the United States.
I’m the nominee of the Democratic party.
I’m staying in the race.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 5, 2024
How many more Democrats will it take to call for Biden to drop out before the Biden campaign accepts that the party wants him gone?