Four more House Democrats “strongly” urged Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race during a roughly two-hour private call with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday, according to Politico sources.
Democrats who voted against naming Biden as the top pick included Reps. Jerry Nadler of New York, Adam Smith of Washington, Mark Takano of California and Joe Morrell of New York. report.
The four lawmakers join a growing list of Democrats expressing concern following Biden's poor performance in the June 27, 2024 debate.
On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democrat to publicly call on Biden to step down, followed by Reps. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and Mike Quigley of Illinois. The Hill reportMinnesota Rep. Angie Craig called on Biden to resign on Saturday, citing the debate gaffes and his “lack of forceful response” afterward, saying in a statement on Twitter that she “does not believe the President can effectively campaign and defeat Donald Trump.”
As elected leaders, we feel a responsibility to be honest about what we believe, even if it’s hard to hear.
President Biden is a good man and I am grateful for his lifetime of service.
However, I believe he should step aside to allow the next generation of leadership to take over.
The stakes are too high… pic.twitter.com/rtZLz6riDp
— Angie Craig (@AngieCraigMN) July 6, 2024
A number of other Democratic House members, including Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington state and Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia, also expressed concerns about Biden's electoral prospects during the call with Jeffries, according to Politico. (Related: Democrat says voters want 'alternative options' beyond Biden)
However, after Politico published the story, Beyer issued a statement strongly endorsing Biden.
“I support President Biden and look forward to endorsing the Biden-Harris ticket and helping to defeat Donald Trump in November,” Beyer said in a statement posted to X.
— Don Beyer (@DonBeyerVA) July 7, 2024
Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, will lead a discussion with his colleagues on Monday about whether Biden can move forward, Politico reported. report.
Democratic panic began after the debate and seemed to reach fever pitch after Biden's defiant ABC News interview on Friday, during which Democrats expressed frustration with Biden's refusal to accept reality and called his approach “dangerous,” Politico reported. report.
Several major Democratic donors are also reportedly concerned about Biden's ability to win the November election. Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and his wife gave Biden more than $1.5 million in 2020. But after Biden's interview on Friday, Hastings said, “Unfortunately, Biden is in denial about his own mental health. Biden needs to step aside and allow a strong Democratic leader to defeat Trump.” statement To ABC News.
Former PayPal CEO Bill Harris, who donated $620,000 to Biden in 2020, echoed Hastings' sentiments, according to ABC.
“I think it's pretty clear to anyone who watched the interview today or the debate a little while ago that President Biden is going to be gone, so the question we have to be thinking about is, what are the next steps?” he told ABC.
Harris also leads a group that has pledged $2 million to support debates between the new candidates if Biden drops out.
Damon Lindelof, co-creator of “Lost,” who attended a glitzy fundraiser for Biden in Hollywood in June, also urged Democrats to stop donating to Biden after the interview, according to ABC.
“I'm not going to change my mind until we have a change in the top candidates,” Lindelof told the outlet.
