Immediately following President Joe Biden’s prime-time press conference Thursday night at the NATO summit in Washington, a top Democratic lawmaker called for the embattled president to step aside, and soon after he was followed by two more congressmen.
Representative Jim Himes (D., Conn.) ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, issued a statement once the press conference concluded, calling for Biden to “step away from the presidential campaign.”
“The 2024 election will define the future of American democracy, and we must put forth the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by Trump’s promised MAGA authoritarianism,” Himes said.
“I no longer believe that is Joe Biden, and I hope that, as he has throughout a lifetime of public service, he will continue to put our nation first and, as he promised, make way for a new generation of leaders,” he added.
Shortly thereafter, Representative Scott Peters (D., Calif.) told Politico that he believes it is time for Biden to “withdraw from the presidential campaign.”
“The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course,” Peters said.
A third Democratic congressman, Eric Sorensen of Illinois, also urged Biden to remove himself from the presidential ticket.
“It is more important than ever that our neighbors have a candidate for President who will communicate a positive vision for every person in this country. Someone who can demonstrate the strength and wisdom needed to lead us through the worst storms. A leader who will stand up to the present threats against democracy,” Sorensen said in a statement posted to X.
“And today, I am hopeful President Biden will step aside in his campaign for President.”
Over a dozen House Democrats and one Democratic senator, Peter Welch of Vermont, have called for Biden to remove himself from the party’s presidential ticket following his horrendous debate showing on June 27.
Earlier today, multiple Democratic lawmakers called for Biden to step aside, as Democrats continue to weigh the possibility of nominating another Democrat to run against Trump.
Of all the calls for Biden to leave, only Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D., Wash.) suggested that Biden should resign from the presidency now for the sake of the country due to his mental infirmity.
“Americans deserve to feel their president is fit enough to do the job. The crisis of confidence in the President’s leadership needs to come to an end. The President should do what he knows is right for the country and put the national interest first,” Gluesenkamp Perez said.
Biden delivered an hour-long press conference during which he repeatedly stumbled over his words, coughed, mumbled, lost trains of thought, whispered, and relied on verbal crutches. Nevertheless, his performance was not considered a fatal blow to his campaign, especially among Democrats.
The “big boy” press conference was widely viewed as an existential event for Biden’s political future. Biden spent a considerable portion of the event giving long-winded, detailed remarks regarding NATO, Russia, China, and cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Although he mistakenly referred to “Vice President Trump” during the press conference, Biden’s most notable gaffe took place beforehand when he mixed up Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin.
Defiant, Biden rejected calls for him to drop out and suggested his pledged delegates could choose whomever they want to be the Democratic nominee at the party’s upcoming convention. He similarly downplayed polls showing him losing to former president Donald Trump and rejected assertions that he is holding onto power to preserve his political legacy.
His performance at the press conference was more reassuring for Democrats than all of his post-debate appearances up to this point. But it is unlikely to inspire confidence and shut down the calls for a different Democratic nominee.