Four more House Democrats “forcefully” called for Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race during a nearly two-hour private call Sunday with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, sources told Politico.
The Democrats coming out against keeping Biden at the top of the ticket were New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, Washington Rep. Adam Smith, California Rep. Mark Takano and New York Rep. Joe Morelle, Politico reported.
The four lawmakers join a growing list of Democrats raising concerns following Biden’s poor June 27, 2024 debate performance.
On Tuesday, Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first Congressional Democrat to publicly ask Biden to bow out. Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton and Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley then followed, The Hill reported. Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig asked for Biden to quit Saturday, citing the debate debacle and his “lack of forceful response” afterwards, saying, “I do not believe the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump,” in a statement she posted to X (formerly Twitter).
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
A number of other Democratic House members expressed concern during the call with Jeffries about Biden’s election prospects, including Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, California Rep. Zoe Lofgren, Washington Rep. Rick Larsen and Virginia Rep. Don Beyer, according to Politico. (RELATED: Dem Rep Says Constituents Have Told Him They Want ‘Another Choice’ Other Than Biden)
Beyer, however, issued a strong statement of support for Biden after Politico published its report.
“I support President Biden. I support the Biden-Harris ticket, and look forward to helping defeat Donald Trump in November,” Beyer said in a statement he posted to X.
— Don Beyer (@DonBeyerVA) July 7, 2024
Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, will lead discussions among a group of his colleagues Monday on if Biden has a path forward, Politico reported.
Democrats’ panic started after the debate and appeared to ramp up in fervor after Biden’s defiant ABC News interview Friday. Democrats expressed frustration over Biden’s refusal to accept reality during the interview, calling his approach “dangerous,” Politico reported.
Several major Democratic donors are also reportedly wary of Biden’s capacity to win in November. Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and his wife donated over $1.5 million to Biden in 2020. Following Biden’s Friday interview, however, Hastings said, “Biden is unfortunately in denial about his mental state. He needs to step aside to let a vigorous Democratic leader beat Trump,” in a statement to ABC News.
Former PayPal CEO Bill Harris, who donated $620,000 to Biden in 2020 according to ABC, echoed Hastings’s sentiments.
“I think just about anybody who would have seen the interview today and the debate a while ago, it would be clear that President Biden stepping back is inevitable. And so what we have to think about is, okay, what is the next step?” he told ABC.
Harris is also leading a group pledging to donate $2 million to support a debate between new candidates if Biden drops out.
“Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof, who attended Biden’s glitzy Hollywood fundraiser in June, also urged fellow Democrats to stop donating to Biden after the interview, according to ABC.
“You won’t change your mind until there’s change at the top of the ticket,” Lindelof told the outlet.
