In recent developments, several high-profile Democratic politicians have called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race or be replaced as the party's nominee following his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump. The pressure comes after Biden, 81, faced off against Trump, 78, in the first debate of the general election last month. During the event, Biden appeared to stumble over his words and lose his train of thought at times. His voice was also raspy for a significant portion of the debate.
The poor showing from Biden has sparked concerns within the Democratic Party about his ability to beat Trump in November and effectively lead the nation for another four years. Here are some key facts surrounding this developing story:
- Senators Peter Welch of Vermont, Michael Bennet of Colorado, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Jon Tester of Montana have privately expressed doubts about Biden's chances in the November election.
- Senator Mark Warner has reportedly been rallying fellow Democrats in the upper chamber to ask Biden to drop out.
- Representatives Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, Tim Ryan of Ohio, Julián Castro, Adam Frisch, Michael B. Moore, James Carville, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Mike Quigley of Illinois, Angie Craig of Minnesota, Adam Smith of Washington , Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey , Pat Ryan of New York , and George Clooney have all publicly called for Biden to withdraw or be replaced.
Despite the mounting pressure, it remains unclear whether Biden will heed the calls and step down from his re-election bid. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.