MSeveral House Democrats joined calls for President Joe Biden to hand over his US election bid to another candidate during a private meeting on Sunday with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to US media. reports.
During the Zoom conference call, promoted as a “listening session” by Jeffries, senior Democrats discussed possible ways to convince Biden that he should step aside after a debate performance that was widely criticized and labeled a “bad night” by the Biden himself. .
See more information: Inside the Biden debate debacle
According to reports from CBS and the New York Times, House Democrats who said Biden should leave the race included Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, who serves as the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee; Rep. Mark Takano of California, who serves as ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee; Representative Adam Smith of Washington, who serves as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Effective Foreign Assistance; and Representative Joe Morelle of New York, who serves as the ranking member of the House Administration Committee. Other officials on the call also expressed skepticism about the president’s chances of winning a second election against former President Donald Trump, according to both media outlets.
The Associated Press reported that Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, who serves as the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also expressed support for Biden’s departure. The New York Times and CBS reported, however, that Himes expressed concern about Biden’s electoral chances but did not say he asked the president to give way to another candidate. (TIME has reached out to Himes for comment.)
See more information: ‘I’m in this race to the end’: Biden struggles as calls to quit grow louder
The news comes as concerns grow about Biden’s mental fitness following the June 27 debate. At least five Democratic lawmakers have publicly declared that Biden, 81, should not seek a second term as president.
Biden’s campaign rejected calls to step aside. “I will not allow a 90-minute debate to end three and a half years of work,” said the President posted in X last week. “I will stay in the race and I will beat Donald Trump.”
An August 2023 survey by the Associated Press–NORC Center for Public Research found that 69% of Democrats said Biden was too old serve effectively for another four years.
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