By June Kim,Blacki Migliozzi,K.K. Rebecca Lai,Neil Vigdor and Lily Boyce
Public calls by elected Democrats for Biden to step aside
19 of 213 Representatives | 1 of 47 Senators | 0 of 23 Governors |
The angst among Democrats over President Biden’s debate performance is intensifying, with some party members voicing concern about his candidacy and some others urging him to withdraw. At least a half-dozen top House Democrats have also reportedly told colleagues privately that Mr. Biden should end his candidacy. A growing number of donors and business leaders have added to the pressure by calling on Mr. Biden to drop out, with some threatening to withhold dollars.
Said Biden should step aside
Expressed concern
Expressed support
July 12
July 11
July 10
July 9
July 8
July 7
July 6
July 5
July 4
July 3
July 2
July 1
June 30
June 29
June 28
The situation is threatening to divide the party ahead of its national convention next month in Chicago, where Mr. Biden is scheduled to accept the Democratic nomination. Here is what Democratic politicians have said publicly so far.
July 12
Said Biden should step aside
Mike Levin
Representative, California
“I believe the time has come for President Biden to pass the torch.” July 12
Brittany Pettersen
Representative, Colorado
“With deep appreciation and love, @joebiden please pass the torch.” July 12
Expressed concern
Jared Polis
Governor, Colorado
“When you are down — and I think it’s important that President Biden and his team realize that they’re underwater in the polls, if the election was held today, he likely wouldn’t win — you need to change something.” July 12
Chellie Pingree
Representative, Maine
“His successes speak for themselves. But I also recognize there are serious concerns about whether he is our strongest candidate to win in November and his ability to serve another term.” July 12
Expressed support
Veronica Escobar
Representative, Texas
“Donald Trump is an existential threat, especially to our Latino communities. And I remain proud to be #RidingWithBidenHarris2024” July 12
July 11
Said Biden should step aside
Hillary Scholten
Representative, Michigan
“It has become clear over the last several weeks that a change needs to be made.” July 11
Previous statement
“We have heard concerns from people who saw the president on Thursday night. I felt concerned and raised those concerns.” July 1
Greg Stanton
Representative, Arizona
“For our country’s sake, it is time for the president to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.” July 11
Scott Peters
Representative, California
“Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign. The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course.” July 11
Previous statement
“The question just now is, is this a candidate who can win the election? Because as much as I love Joe Biden, in those swing states, he’s having a hard time.” July 3
Eric Sorensen
Representative, Illinois
“In 2020, Joe Biden ran for President with the purpose of putting country over party. Today, I am asking him to do that again.” July 11
Brad Schneider
Representative, Illinois
“I fear if he fails to make the right choice, our democracy will hang in the balance.” July 11
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
Representative, Washington
“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.” July 11
Previous statement
“We all saw what we saw. You can’t undo that.” July 2*
Jim Himes
Representative, Connecticut
“We must put forth the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by Trump’s promised MAGA authoritarianism. I no longer believe that is Joe Biden.” July 11
Ed Case
Representative, Hawaii
“This is solely about the future, about the president’s ability to continue in the most difficult job in the world for another four-year term.” July 11
Expressed concern
Jeff Merkley
Senator, Oregon
“I think you should ask Joe Biden if he can win.” July 11,answering the question of whether he thinks the president can prevail in November.
Ritchie Torres
Representative, New York
“The President did not just have one ‘bad debate.’ The reality we saw with our own lying eyes is evidence of a deeper challenge.” July 11
Gerald E. Connolly
Representative, Virginia
“Polling data is not encouraging right now, and I hope the White House takes that into account as well.” July 11
Previous statement
“I don’t think we know that yet.” July 5,answering the question of whether Biden still gives his party the best chance to win in November.
July 10
Said Biden should step aside
Peter Welch
Senator, Vermont
“For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.” July 10
Previous statement
“I really do criticize the campaign for a dismissive attitude towards people who are raising questions for discussion.” July 1
Pat Ryan
Representative, New York
“For the good of our country, for my two young kids, I’m asking Joe Biden to step aside in the upcoming election and deliver on the promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders.” July 10
Earl Blumenauer
Representative, Oregon
“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.” July 10
Antonio Delgado
Lieutenant Governor, New York
“He can add to his legacy, showing his strength and grace, by ending his campaign and making room for a new leader.” July 10
Expressed concern
Expressed support
July 9
Said Biden should step aside
Mikie Sherrill
Representative, New Jersey
“And because I know President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country, I am asking that he declare that he won’t run for reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee.” July 9
Expressed concern
Michael Bennet
Senator, Colorado
“I think that we could lose the whole thing.” July 9
Marc Veasey
Representative, Texas
“I think that he has a long way to go and I think there are stronger candidates that would be more likely to beat Trump at this point, but if he says that he is going to stay in, he’s the nominee.” July 9
Lori Trahan
Representative, Massachusetts
“While President Biden has made clear he feels he is the best candidate to win this election, nothing that has happened over the past 12 days suggests that voters see things the same way.” July 9
Expressed support
Gwen Moore
Representative, Wisconsin
“I will continue to support President Biden’s reelection bid.” July 9*
Jasmine Crockett
Representative, Texas
“This is not time to play fantasy president. That’s not what we do in this country. We have a democratic process.” July 9
Nydia M. Velázquez
Representative, New York
“I support Joe Biden, and it is time to focus on reelecting him in November.” July 9
Jerry Nadler
Representative, New York
“He’s going to be our nominee, and we all have to support him.” July 9
Glenn Ivey
Representative, Maryland
“My view is that the best way to beat Donald Trump is moving forward with the Biden-Harris ticket.” July 9
Before July 9
Said Biden should step aside
Adam Smith
Representative, Washington
“I think it’s become clear that he’s not the best person to carry the Democratic message.” July 8
Angie Craig
Representative, Minnesota
“I do not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump.” July 6
Lloyd Doggett
Representative, Texas
“The need for him to step aside is more urgent tonight than when I first called for it on Tuesday.” July 5
Mike Quigley
Representative, Illinois
“I would say: Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this.” July 5
Previous statement
“It has to be his decision. We have to be honest with ourselves. It wasn’t just a horrible night.” July 2
Seth Moulton
Representative, Massachusetts
“President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding father, George Washington’s footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump.” July 4
Previous statement
“I deeply respect President Biden and all the great things he has done for America, but I have grave concerns about his ability to defeat Donald Trump.” July 3
Raúl M. Grijalva
Representative, Arizona
“What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.” July 3
Marianne Williamson
2024 Democratic presidential candidate
“The time is now for another Democratic candidate to take his place on the November ballot.” July 2
Julián Castro
Former Housing and Urban Development secretary
“Another Democrat would have a better shot at beating Trump.” July 2
Tim Ryan
Former Representative, Ohio
“After deep reflection over these past few days, I strongly believe that our best path forward is Kamala Harris.” July 1
Tom Harkin
Former Senator, Iowa
“I think the president should step aside and let the convention pick a new candidate.” June 30*
R.T. Rybak
Former D.N.C. vice chair
“It is absolutely not too late to pick a new candidate.” June 30
Expressed concern
Patty Murray
Senator, Washington
“I believe President Biden must do more to demonstrate he can campaign strong enough to beat Donald Trump.” July 8
Jon Tester
Senator, Montana
“President Biden has got to prove to the American people — including me — that he’s up to the job for another four years.” July 8
Susan Wild
Representative, Pennsylvania
“In a confidential conversation with other members of House Democratic leadership, I expressed the same concerns that Americans across the country are grappling with, about President Biden’s electability at the top of the ticket.” July 7
Adam Schiff
Representative, California
“The performance on the debate stage I think rightfully raised questions among the American people about whether the President has the vigor to defeat Donald Trump. And this is an existential risk.” July 7
Tom Malinowski
Former Representative, New Jersey
“Today, he can go down in history as the man who saved America from Trump twice — first by running four years ago, then by passing the torch.” July 7
Maura Healey
Governor, Massachusetts
“Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump.” July 5
Ro Khanna
Representative, California
“I expect complete transparency from the White House about this issue and a willingness to answer many legitimate questions from the media and voters about his capabilities.” July 5
Emanuel Cleaver II
Representative, Missouri
“I am worried about the president’s ability to continue the campaign. However, I’m looking to be reassured this coming week that this is a one-off, he had a bad night.” July 5*
Chris Pappas
Representative, New Hampshire
“People are disappointed with what they saw last week. And I think it’s up to President Biden to answer what kind of path he can be on for the future — to restore confidence, or to pass the torch.” July 4
Jared Huffman
Representative, California
“We need a course correction. We’ve got to acknowledge that this was not just one bad night.” July 4
David Walters
Former governor of Oklahoma
“He may be operating at 100 percent capacity. But 14 months into this 18-month campaign, the campaign is losing this argument.” July 4
Debbie Dingell
Representative, Michigan
“President Biden has got to go out there, and in a sustained basis, show he has the stamina and can do the job.” July 3
Summer Lee
Representative, Pennsylvania
“People are worried. And we need our strongest, our brightest, our bravest to step up and start to take the reins right now.” July 3
Katie Porter
Representative, California
“This White House is going to have to be way less insular than they have been.” July 3
Jake Auchincloss
Representative, Massachusetts
“We have strong people, not just the top of the ticket, but around the ticket, who can be strong surrogates.” July 3
Ann McLane Kuster
Representative, New Hampshire
“In order to respond to our constituents’ concerns, we need to demonstrate that the president is fit not just for the job, but for the campaign.” July 3*
Nancy Pelosi
Representative, California
“I think it is a legitimate question to say is this an episode or is this a condition?” July 2
Greg Landsman
Representative, Ohio
“The question is can he effectively prosecute the case against Trump.” July 2*
Jared Golden
Representative, Maine
“In 2025, I believe Trump is going to be in the White House.” July 2
Jamie Raskin
Representative, Maryland
“We’re having a serious conversation about what to do.” June 30*
Expressed support
Catherine Cortez Masto
Senator, Nevada
“He’s always had Nevadans’ backs, whether it’s on the picket lines, protecting our personal freedoms, or lowering costs — now it’s time for us to have his.” July 8
Valerie Foushee
Representative, North Carolina
“I believe he is fit to run and am supportive of his reelection campaign.” July 8
Steven Horsford
Representative, Nevada
“President Joe Biden is the nominee and has been selected by millions of voters across this country, including voters here in Nevada.” July 8
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Representative, New York
“I support him and I am focused on making sure we win in November.” July 8
Danny Davis
Representative, Illinois
“Joe Biden is the candidate. He’s my candidate, and he’s America’s champion. And we need to keep him there.” July 8
Shontel Brown
Representative, Ohio
“I remain steadfast in my support for @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris.” July 8
David Trone
Representative, Maryland
“Let’s put an end to the feeding frenzy and support the candidate who’s restored America as a respected world leader and a beacon of hope and prosperity for its people.” July 8
Alex Padilla
Senator, California
“Joe Biden is going to be our Democratic nominee. We’ve got 120 days to continue to reach out to voters, make the case.” July 7
Frederica S. Wilson
Representative, Florida
“Any ‘leader’ calling for President Biden to drop out needs to get their priorities straight and stop undermining this incredible actual leader who has delivered real results for our country.” July 7
Robin Kelly
Representative, Illinois
“I am proud to support President Biden & Vice President Harris, and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish over the next four years.” July 7
Joyce Beatty
Representative, Ohio
“As a National Advisory Board member for #BidenHarris2024 and Member of Congress who works side by side with President Biden the choice for American leadership and our democracy is clear. It’s Joe Biden!” July 7
Maxine Waters
Representative, California
“I don’t care what anybody says — it ain’t going to be no other Democratic candidate.” July 6
James E. Clyburn
Representative, South Carolina
“There is no one better suited to continue this country’s progress than him.” July 6
Lisa Blunt Rochester
Representative, Delaware
“He is the only one we can count on to defeat Donald Trump. And he will win. I’m 100% ridin’ with Biden!” July 5
Haley Stevens
Representative, Michigan
“I am a hundred percent with the Biden-Harris ticket, and I’m standing by our president.” July 4
Terri A. Sewell
Representative, Alabama
“@JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris have stood with us and we are proud to stand with them.” July 4
Roy Cooper
Governor, North Carolina
“President Biden told us he is definitely running for re-election, he is our nominee and we’ll continue doing everything we can to deliver North Carolina for him.” July 3
Gavin Newsom
Governor, California
“Joe Biden’s had our back. Now it’s time to have his.” July 3
Kathy Hochul
Governor, New York
“President Joe Biden is in it to win it, and all of us said we pledged our support to him.” July 3
Phil Murphy
Governor, New Jersey
“He is our nominee for President and I’m going to do everything I can to ensure he beats Trump.” July 3
Josh Green
Governor, Hawaii
“I suspect people will need to see the president in person and on TV to be convinced he is up to it. He is.” July 3
Robert Garcia
Representative, California
“The person to defeat Donald Trump is going to be the Joe Biden, Kamala Harris ticket.” July 3*
J. B. Pritzker
Governor, Illinois
“Joe Biden is going to be our nominee, unless he decides otherwise.” July 2
Chuck Schumer
Senator, New York
“I’m with Joe Biden.” July 2
Sylvia Garcia
Representative, Texas
“I respect Rep. Doggett’s position but it is one I do not share. I am supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and will work hard to get them reelected.” July 2*
Sheila Jackson Lee
Representative, Texas
“I stand unapologetically with President Biden, because no, he should not drop out. We must not lose focus.” July 2
Jaime Harrison
D.N.C. Chairman
“This ain’t the West Wing … we have had a process, millions voted for Joe Biden and we have our nominee!” July 2
Gretchen Whitmer
Governor, Michigan
“I am proud to support Joe Biden as our nominee and I am behind him 100 percent in the fight to defeat Donald Trump.” July 1
Katie Hobbs
Governor, Arizona
“As the president himself has said, don’t compare him to the almighty, compare him to the alternative. And by that metric, the choice is abundantly clear in this race.” June 30
Raphael Warnock
Senator, Georgia
“Absolutely not.” June 30,answering a question about whether Biden should step aside.
Chris Coons
Senator, Delaware
“The only Democrat who has ever beaten Donald Trump is Joe Biden. He is our candidate for November.” June 30
Hakeem Jeffries
Representative, New York
“A setback is nothing more than a setup for a comeback.” June 30
Jennifer McClellan
Representative, Virginia
“The only path forward is to continue with President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, not only on the ballot but in the White House.” June 30
Lucy McBath
Representative, Georgia
“He has made ending gun violence a National priority. We need President Biden in office to continue this work for a second term.” June 29
Tony Evers
Governor, Wisconsin
“One debate doesn’t change how President Biden has delivered for Wisconsin over the last three and a half years. I supported President Biden four years ago, and I support him still today.” June 28*
Tim Walz
Governor, Minnesota
“And I think the American people understand that this president has delivered. There’s a lot of folks supporting him.” June 28
John Hickenlooper
Senator, Colorado
“President Biden has my full confidence as president and if he chooses to remain in the race, he’ll have my full support.” June 28
Jack Reed
Senator, Rhode Island
“It’s a difference between a bad initial debate and a very bad presidency, which Donald Trump can claim.” June 28
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Representative, Florida
“I am confident that Joe Biden will keep America’s economy humming, create millions of jobs, and will fiercely protect Social Security, Medicare and our basic freedoms and democracy.” June 28
Pete Buttigieg
Secretary of Transportation
“Joe Biden’s presidency has been among the most productive and successful in American history.” June 28
