Republicans happily watch Democratic turmoil over Biden

House Republicans watching Democrats grapple with President Biden’s political future are pleased to be on the sidelines of an infighting that has the potential to weaken Biden and his party.

GOP lawmakers say they are not watching the fighting with any joy, but are pleased with the media frenzy surrounding their political opponents. And they clearly think the infighting has a chance of helping them.

Printouts at a House GOP press conference on Tuesday highlighted headlines about Democrats and editorial boards calling for Biden to step down as their candidate. And House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Democrats are “not ignorant” of Biden’s mental acuity and “need to be held accountable” for misleading the public.

All the Republican Party needs to do, many lawmakers think, is not get in the way of its opponents.

“It’s not my preference to be in the headlines right now,” said Johnson, who has mostly been in the eye of the storm in his nine-month tenure. “They have a lot to sort out there.”

Some Republicans, however, couldn’t resist taking the issue even further.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) over the weekend requested that Biden’s White House doctor appear before his panel.

The day after Biden’s disastrous debate performance, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) introduced a resolution calling on Vice President Harris to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Biden from office.

Johnson himself said that Biden and Harris’ Cabinet should seriously consider using the 25th Amendment process to remove the president, although he noted that the House could not compel it. Roy recognized that his resolution would not have the force of law.

And Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) intended to appeal to Democratic concerns about Biden in a letter asking them to support her decision to fine Attorney General Merrick Garland $10,000 for each day he refused to deliver the audio of Biden’s special counsel interview. in October — a previously provided transcript shows Biden’s difficulty remembering details that led Hur to describe him as “an elderly man with a poor memory.”

Other Republicans are warning their colleagues not to be distracted from the Democratic turmoil.

Luna said overshadowing Democrats as they faced a high-stakes crisis was one of the concerns she heard from Republican colleagues as she pushed for the House sergeant-at-arms to arrest Garland. She ultimately refused to force a vote on the issue the day after Biden’s debate.

“It’s always better to let the folks in the hole keep digging,” said Rep. Marc Molinaro (RN.Y.) when asked about Comer’s request. “I think we must act very responsibly.”

Comer, for his part, is dismissing any concerns about his tactics.

“There are always Republicans who criticize everything,” Comer said. “I won’t stop doing what I’m supposed to do.”

Republicans also see the discussion over Biden’s replacement as an opportunity to accuse Democrats of hypocrisy.

“The party that loves to lecture people about democracy is in a smoke-filled room trying to oust the democratically chosen candidate for president by Democratic voters,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.).

And the situation sets Republicans up for one of their favorite messaging tropes: Democrats in disarray.

“There is no longer any doubt that Joe Biden is not fit to be our commander in chief. The Biden White House, far-left House Democrats and the mainstream media are in complete disarray because they know this to be true,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.), chair of the House Republican Party, in a press conference on Tuesday. .

Beyond the political arguments, Republicans — who have dealt with all sorts of internal divisions over the past year, from the impeachment of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to battles over government funding — have been unable to avoid Revel in the dramatically changed environment at the Capitol.

House Republicans had some extra energy as they descended the Capitol steps after a series of votes Monday night, as reporters surrounded their Democratic colleagues.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (RN.C.) flashed a smile as he found some colleagues at the bottom of the stairs, marveling: “Nobody wants to talk to me.” Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) jokingly offered to “run interference” on behalf of a fellow Democrat, he said.

“It’s fun to see you reporters go after the Democrats for a minute. That’s good to see. They’re all squirming around you,” said Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah).

Rep. Nick LaLota (RN.Y.) compared the current environment for Democrats in Congress to what Republicans faced during the multi-day election of the first Speaker of the House and the three-week confusion following McCarthy’s ouster.

Nearby, members including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) faced swarms of reporters and questions about whether they think Biden should remain the Democratic nominee amid concerns about his age and ability to effectively argue the case against Trump. (Ocasio-Cortez has thrown her support behind Biden; Schiff said over the weekend that both Biden and Trump should undergo cognitive testing.)

Johnson also joked that Tuesday saw “the smallest crowd ever gathered for a Republican press conference,” while most of the press watched a Democratic gathering several blocks away.

But Republicans also hope to keep the pressure on the other party even as they enjoy the delay.

“I haven’t heard any of my Democratic colleagues say that Joe Biden’s mental competence is bad for America,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.). “It’s bad for us on the world stage. This makes it a more dangerous place. They never mentioned it. The only thing they mentioned is that it will be difficult to elect him again.”

Johnson also stated that the situation did not spark joy.

“We would say, from a political point of view, that we would be enjoying this, but we are not. I don’t like this,” Johnson said. “I think this is a dangerous time, a dangerous time for our country.”

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story