Sen. michael bennet (D-Colo.) said Tuesday night that he believes former President donald trump is on track to defeat the president Joe Biden in November this year – and that Trump could win with a “collapse” that will usher in Republican majorities in the House and Senate.
“I’m sure President Biden has a different view than I do about his prospects in this election. But we should be discussing this,” Bennet told CNN. “And I think the White House since that disastrous debate has done nothing to really demonstrate that it has a plan to win this election.”
The senator stopped short of openly asking Biden to step aside as the party’s nominee – leaving the door open for a Biden return.
In the CNN interview, Bennet acknowledged having made a similar analysis at the Senate Democratic luncheon earlier in the day. The Colorado lawmaker rarely causes trouble at the political convention — but he was among those who expressed grave concerns about Biden’s performance in last month’s debate.
“This race is on a trajectory that is very concerning if you care about the future of this country,” said Bennet, who like Biden sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. He later added, “We could lose everything, and that’s surprising.” for me”.
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) also told Democratic senators at Tuesday’s lunch that he believes the president is in a troubling situation and needs to do more to prove his viability as a candidate, according to a senior Democratic aide granted anonymity to discuss the private matter. conversation. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) reportedly did the same — although he repeatedly refused to answer reporters’ questions, citing his policy of not talking about what happens in caucus meetings.
Tester and Brown — who are seeking re-election in states that Trump carried by significant margins in 2020 — are the party’s two most vulnerable incumbents this fall.
As of Tuesday, there was no clear strategy among Senate Democrats on how to address the president’s viability as the party’s presidential candidate. Although many senior Democrats, including the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumersaid they support Biden, others insisted that the president needs to prove he is prepared for the job.
“They have to address the concerns of the American people,” Bennet said. “The people of Colorado that I represent have deep concerns about whether or not the president can win this race.”
Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz issued a statement in response to Bennet’s interview. “This was always going to be a close race – and the dynamics at play are ones we have long predicted: Voters remain deeply concerned about Donald Trump and his harmful agenda, and the more we engage with and reach voters, the more they support President Biden.” , Munoz said.
