Democrats openly express concerns about the president Joe Biden‘s re-election and urged his campaign to be open about his condition following Biden’s disastrous debate performance last Thursday.
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., criticized the Biden campaign for ignoring concerns about the president’s health and well-being, Semafor reported. “The campaign raised the concerns themselves,” he told the outlet. “So to dismiss others who are raising those concerns, I think is inappropriate.”
The senator stressed the importance of a Democratic nominee strong enough to defeat Donald Trump, especially in light of Monday’s Supreme Court ruling granting the president immunity for “official acts.” While Welch said Democrats have tremendous respect for Biden, the party must do everything it can to ensure victory in November.
“Passivity is not the response that’s going to work for us. We all have to be self-aware,” Welch said. “We all have to be very aware that our obligation is to the country, even more than to the party. That’s the obligation we have — what’s best for the country.”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., voiced similar concerns in an interview with 12 News. “I think like a lot of people, I was pretty shocked by the debate,” he said. “The blips from President Biden and the barrage of lies from President Trump were not what you would expect in a presidential debate.”
Whitehouse said he was surprised by Biden’s shaky performance, having never seen the president in such a state before. If Democrats want to keep Trump out of power, Whitehouse said they need to take a more aggressive approach.
“I’ve been critical of the campaign all along, so the upside is that this could be the jolt they need to make a more compelling case against Donald Trump and for President Biden and the goals that the Democrats want to achieve,” Whitehouse said.
Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., argued that Democrats need to be “honest with ourselves” and accept that Biden’s debate performance “wasn’t just a terrible night,” Politico reported.
While Quigley said Biden has served the U.S. “extraordinarily for 50 years,” he told CNN’s Kasie Hunt that Biden also needs to “be honest with himself” about the viability of his candidacy, as the November election “will have implications for decades to come.”
“It will probably be a week before there are any decent polls… I think this is probably the only thing that can change his mind or affect that crucial decision that, again, only he can make,” Quigley said.
On Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) became the first Democratic lawmaker to Publicly calling on Biden to withdraw from the race.
“My decision to make these strong reservations public was not taken lightly, and it in no way diminishes my respect for all that President Biden has accomplished,” Doggett said in a statement. “Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I hope he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully urge him to do so.”
Former Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan also called for Biden to step down and for Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place. In an op-ed for Newsweek, Ryan expressed his love and support for Biden while arguing that it was time for the president to step down and “pass the torch to the next generation.”
“Joe Biden’s debate performance was deeply troubling,” Ryan wrote. “But this isn’t just about a 90-minute debate and a terrible performance. This election should be about generational change — something I’ve been screaming about for over a year now.”
He praised Harris’ comments in a CNN interview on debate night. “On all the cable news channels, the vice president’s performance was terrific, a light in the darkness.
“In short, she’s ready for the job. And, more importantly, she deserves a chance to go before the American people and show us her mettle,” he wrote.
Despite the concerns, there are no signs yet that Biden, who has strong support from his family, will withdraw from the race.
