Day: July 10, 2024

Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) on Wednesday became the first Senate Democrat to publicly call on President Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.

Welch wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that while he has “great respect” for the president, who he calls one of the best of his lifetime, it is time for Biden to step aside for the good of the country. 

“I, like folks across the country, am worried about November’s election. The stakes could not be higher. We cannot unsee President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. We cannot ignore or dismiss the valid questions raised since that night,” Welch said. “I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and wants to do it again.” 

“But he needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not,” he continued. “For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.”

The Vermont Democrat becomes the 10th Democratic member of Congress to call for Biden to step aside from the ticket, joining nine members of the House.

Welch, a freshman senator who previously served eight terms in the House, wrote that Democrats face potential political devastation in November if there is not a change atop the ticket. He added that only Biden can change the “national conversation,” which is centered on the president’s “age and capacity.” 

“I deliver this assessment with sadness. Vermont loves Joe Biden,” he said, adding that Biden won his largest vote percentage in Vermont four years ago. “But regular Vermonters are worried that he can’t win this time, and they’re terrified of another Trump presidency. These are real concerns of regular voters who I’ve heard from recently — like a mom who counts on the child tax credit and seniors who rely on Medicare.”

He also heaped praise on potential replacements, calling Vice President Harris a “capable, proven leader” and lauding the “deep bench” in the party’s reserves that includes “energizing” governors and senators who hail from swing states. 

“We have asked President Biden to do so much for so many for so long. It has required unmatched selflessness and courage,” Welch wrote. “We need him to put us first, as he has done before. I urge him to do it now.” 

The move comes after days of internal hemming and hawing from Senate Democrats, headlined by Tuesday’s weekly luncheon where Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) all said that they believe Biden will lose in November.

Bennet went public with his thoughts hours later, saying in a television interview that Biden being on the ticket could lead to a “landslide.” However, he did not go as far as Welch.

It also comes as more cracks emerged in Democratic support across Congress in beyond, just a day after tides briefly appeared to shift in Biden’s favor.

Biden’s top advisers are slated to address Senate Democrats over lunch at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on Thursday, a move that comes hours before the president’s planned solo press conference as part of the NATO summit in downtown Washington.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) on Wednesday became the ninth House Democrat to publicly call for President Biden to withdraw from the race, adding to a growing chorus of lawmakers who have expressed concerns about the president’s — and the party’s — chances in November. 

“No president has had more accomplishments under more difficult circumstances than President Joe Biden,” Blumenauer wrote in a statement.  “He’s navigated international crises while enacting landmark legislation combating the climate crisis, recovering from COVID, rebuilding and renewing America, and guiding our economic recovery. These are unprecedented achievements.”

However, the Oregon Democrat, who’s retiring after his current term, said that “the question before the country is whether the president should continue his candidacy for re-election.”

“This is not just about extending his presidency but protecting democracy,” Blumenauer said. “While this is a decision for the president and the first lady, I hope they will come to the conclusion that I and others have: President Biden should not be the Democratic presidential nominee.”

Eight other House Democrats have publicly called on Biden to exit the race: Reps. Llyod Doggett (D-Texas), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.). 

Blumenauer’s statement underscores House Democrats’ lingering fears that with Biden still in the race, his candidacy jeopardizes the party’s ability to keep the White House in November and flip the House. 

Biden has been adamant in interviews since his disastrous debate performance that he’s remaining in the race, but the slow drip-drip of statements from members of the parties, and now celebrities, highlight Democrats’ anxieties.

Notably, actor George Clooney, who held a fundraiser for the president last month, wrote an op-ed in The New York Times published on Wednesday calling for Biden to exit the race. 

A forecast from Decision Desk HQ released this week found that Republicans have a 65 percent chance of keeping the House, with a 58 percent chance of flipping the White House and 82 percent chance of winning the Senate majority. 

Updated at 7:13 p.m.