In the week since his disappointing performance in the first televised debate of the 2024 presidential election, President Biden has continued to display a stubborn streak despite growing concerns about his fitness for re-election.
But his efforts to convince voters that he can beat the former president, Donald Trump have done little to quell mounting pressure from within his party and a flood of experts to reconsider his candidacy.
A series of editorials from mainstream news organizations calling for Biden to suspend his re-election campaign were followed by reports like the one published Tuesday by The New York Times about Biden’s “increasingly frequent and troubling” mental “missteps.” On Wednesday, Bloomberg Government reported that “dozens of Democratic lawmakers are considering signing a letter demanding that President Joe Biden withdraw from the race,” citing “a senior party official.”
On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democratic lawmaker to call on Biden to withdraw from the race. But a growing number are openly expressing concerns about his ability to take on Trump in November, including some like Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Rep. James Clyburn, who quickly defended Biden over the weekend.
Biden, meanwhile, has shown no signs of backing down. He plans to give his first post-debate interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Friday, followed by campaign events in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
Yahoo News has compiled a running list of all the Democrats who have publicly expressed concerns about Biden’s post-debate campaign. Check back here as this article will be updated as we continue.
Representative Raúl Grijalva
Grijalva became the second House Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw. In an interview, he said, “If he is the nominee, I will support him, but I think this is an opportunity to look elsewhere.”
“What he has to do is take responsibility for keeping that seat,” he continued, “and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”
Representative Seth Moulton
Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat and Iraq War veteran, expressed concerns about Biden’s candidacy on Wednesday night.
Moulton praised Biden and did not call on him to withdraw from the race, but said that “the unfortunate reality is that the status quo is likely to give us President Trump.”
Moulton, who briefly ran for president in 2020, said that “America needs a new generation of leaders” and that “we must put all viable options on the table.”
Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
Perez held off on officially calling on Biden to withdraw in an interview with an ABC affiliate on July 3. The Washington congresswoman said, “The truth is, I think, Biden is going to lose to Trump. … I think the damage was done by that debate.”
Representative Summer Lee
CBS News reported that Lee, from Pennsylvania, said during a radio interview that “the vice president is the obvious choice” for the nominee should Biden decide to withdraw.
Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) on the radio, per @MacFarlaneNews:
“Maybe people don’t want to hear it, but we have a timing that is running out. Time is not on our side. We have a few months to do a monumental task. It’s not cheap and it’s not easy. If our president decides that this is not…
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) July 3, 2024
Representative Ann McLane Kuster
Kuster, chair of the New Democrat Coalition, told CNN on July 3 that she had conveyed her “concerns” to the White House and Biden’s campaign.
“To respond to the concerns of our constituents, we must demonstrate that the president is not only fit for the job, but also fit for the campaign,” the New Hampshire congresswoman said. [the insurrectionists] almost killed me on Jan. 6. The stakes are very high. I am trying to save our democracy.”
.@RepAnnieKuster tells me: “Joe Biden has always done the right thing for his country, so I expect this to be resolved.”
Kuster, who is retiring, leads the New Dems, a group of more than 100 mostly moderate voters, including many front-line voters.
“I have expressed my concerns to…
—Kasie Hunt (@kasie) July 3, 2024
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi
While Pelosi was an outspoken supporter of Biden over the weekend, she held back somewhat during an interview with MSNBC on July 2, saying, “I think it’s a legitimate question to say, ‘Is this an episode or is this a condition?’ … of both candidates.”
“I think it’s a legitimate question to ask, ‘Is this an episode or is this a condition? ‘…for both candidates.”
WATCH: Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi responds to Democrats’ concerns about President Biden. photo.twitter.com/KRm2fdfXH0
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 2, 2024
Representative James Clyburn
Like Pelosi, Clyburn appeared to soften his previous stance on Biden’s continued candidacy in an interview with MSNBC.
“I will support [Harris] as [Biden] “We should step aside,” the South Carolina congressman said.
“No. This party should not do anything to circumvent Ms Harris in any way. We should do everything we can to support her, whether she is in second place or at the top of the list.”
WATCH: Rep. Clyburn defends VP Harris’ role in the Democratic Party. photo.twitter.com/IBjn9FJ9Jh
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 2, 2024
Former Obama official and former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro
Castro told MSNBC on Tuesday that “there are strong options for Democrats — we have a lot of stable people who I think could do a better job, including Vice President Harris.”
‘Another Democrat Would Have a Better Chance’ of Beating Trump Than Biden: Castro
Since the debate, Democrats have become increasingly concerned about President Biden’s age and well-being.
Former Minister of Housing, Julián Castro and Chris Jansing share their thoughts. photo.twitter.com/TY3uHAm83u
— MSNBC Reports (@MSNBC_reports) July 2, 2024
Representative Jared Golden
In an op-ed in a local Maine newspaper titled “Donald Trump Is Going to Win the Election and Democracy Will Be Fine,” Golden said he was not surprised by Biden’s debate performance.
“The outcome of this election has been clear to me for months: Even though I have no intention of voting for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And that’s OK with me,” Golden wrote. The Maine congressman added that he did not plan to vote for Trump. “Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters into thinking that Trump will end our democratic system.”
Senator Peter Welch
In an interview with Semafor, Vermont’s Welch criticized the Biden campaign’s “dismissive” stance on his debate performance.
“Passivity is not the reaction that is going to work for us. We all have to be self-aware,” he said. “We all have to be very aware that our obligation is to the country, even more than to the party. That is the obligation we have — what is best for the country.”
Representative Debbie Dingell
“One interview is not going to solve this,” Dingell, from Michigan, said in an interview with CNN. “I think the campaign needs to listen to people. And by the way, I think the campaign needs to listen to us.”
Representative Mike Quigley
Quigley reiterated to CNN on July 2 that it is ultimately up to Biden whether he wants to withdraw, but that he hopes Biden realizes the potential negative impact his nomination could have on other races.
“This decision not only impacts who’s going to serve in the White House for the next four years, it impacts who’s going to serve in the Senate, it impacts who’s going to serve in the House, and it’s going to have implications for decades to come,” the Illinois congressman said. “I just want him to realize right now how much of an impact this has not just on his race, but on all the other races that are going to happen in November.”
.@RepMikeQuigley on @JoeBiden‘s potential replacement: “It’s his decision. I just want him to realise at this point how much of an impact it has not only on his race but on all the other races that are happening in November… it wasn’t just a terrible night.” photo.twitter.com/nHHKHKBYyq
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) July 2, 2024
Representative Lloyd Doggett
Doggett was the first Democrat in office to publicly call for Biden to withdraw. In a statement circulated on X on July 2, Doggett, of Texas, said Biden’s debate performance did not reassure voters and that Biden “failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump’s lies.”
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
In a July 1 interview with CBS affiliate WPRI, Whitehouse, of Rhode Island, said he was “pretty shocked” after watching the debate.
“I’ve never seen that happen before,” he said of Biden’s performance. “I think people want to make sure that this is a campaign that is ready to go and win, that the president and his team are being upfront with us about his condition, that this was a real anomaly and not just the way he is today.”
Dem Senator Whitehouse makes sharp comments about Biden’s debate.
“I think like a lot of people I was quite shocked”
“People want to make sure that… the president and his team are candid about his condition, that this was a real anomaly and not just the way he is today.” photo.twitter.com/m1u27dSf6o— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) July 1, 2024
Former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan
On July 1, Ryan published an op-ed for Newsweek calling for Kamala Harris to be the new Democratic nominee.
“We have to rip the band-aid off! The stakes are too high,” Ryan wrote in an X-post with a link to his article. “It’s time!”
We have to rip the band-aid off! There is too much at stake.@VPhas grown significantly in her orbit, she will destroy Trump in debates, emphasize choice issues, energize our base, bring back young voters, and give us generational change. It’s time! https://t.co/izPypeSmDL
— Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) July 2, 2024