First Democratic Senator Asks Biden to Drop Reelection Bid: ‘I’m Calling on President Biden to Withdraw’
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) became the first Democratic senator to call on President Joe Biden, 81, to drop out of the presidential race.
Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, is facing increasing pressure to drop his bid after a disastrous debate performance and multiple interviews in which he stumbled over his words and generally struggled to articulate his thoughts. While only a handful of congressional lawmakers have publicly called on Biden to step down as the nominee, there has been a veritable freakout among Democratic lawmakers and donors who worry the president will lose to Donald Trump in November.
“I have great respect for President Biden. He saved our country from a tyrant,” Welch wrote in an op-ed published in the Washington Post on Wednesday night. “He is a man of uncommon decency. He cares deeply about our democracy. He has been one of the best presidents of our time.”
The senator went on to say, however, he is concerned about a second Trump term and said Biden is not the best candidate to prevent it:
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.
For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.
Welch went on to slam Trump, who is “laying out an extremist agenda,” but that this is being overshadowed by questions about Biden’s mental fitness. He added:
I deliver this assessment with sadness. Vermont loves Joe Biden. President Biden and Vice President Harris received a larger vote percentage here than in any other state. 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.
The senator concluded by reiterating his plea for Biden to step aside.
“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.”
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Axios reported that Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is open a ticket without Biden. The night before, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) all but called for Biden to drop out, stating, “Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election and maybe win it by a landslide and take with him the Senate and the House.”
