After Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in his first debate against Donald Trump supercharged concerns about his age and fitness for office, the president has faced calls from members of Congress to stand down as the Democratic nominee this November.
At first Biden pushed back hard, claiming “elites in the party” were behind such calls, claiming strong support from actual voters, and challenging doubters to “run against me. Go ahead. Announce for president – challenge me at the convention!”
Nobody has gone that far yet, but amid reports that Biden is wavering, a growing number of elected Democratic officials have publicly called for him to quit. Here they are:
House of Representatives
Lloyd Doggett (Texas)
The Texas veteran was first out of the gate, saying on 2 July: “Recognising that, unlike [Donald] Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.”
Raúl Grijalva (Arizona)
A senior progressive from a battleground state, Grijalva has sway in his party. The 76-year-old told the New York Times: “What [Biden] needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat – and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.” Grijalva also said Democrats “have to win this race, and we have to hold the House and hold the Senate”, because if not, the party’s achievements under Biden would “go down the sewer”.
Seth Moulton (Massachusetts)
The former US marine and congressman, who briefly challenged Biden for the nomination in 2020, told a Boston radio station: “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.” Moulton has since doubled down, citing the “disaster” of the debate.
Mike Quigley (Illinois)
Speaking to MSNBC on 5 July, Quigley said: “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 … let someone else do this.”
Angie Craig (Minnesota)
The next day, Craig said: “Given what I saw and heard from the president during [the] debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the president himself following that debate, I do not believe that the president can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump. That’s why I respectfully call on President Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee for a second term as president and allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward.”
Adam Smith (Washington)
On 8 July, the top Democrat on the House armed services committee said the party’s candidate for president must be able to clearly, articulately and strongly make his or her case to the American people. “It is clear that President Biden is no longer able to meet this burden,” Smith told CNN, adding that he was “pleading” with Biden to “take a step back. Look at what’s best for the party, look at what’s best for the country.”
Mikie Sherrill (New Jersey)
On 9 July, the former navy helicopter pilot said the stakes of a second Trump presidency were too high to stay silent. “I know that President Biden and his team have been true public servants and have put the country and the best interests of democracy first and foremost in their considerations,” she said. “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 re-election and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee.”
Pat Ryan (New York)
The former soldier, who faces a tough re-election bid in November, told the New York Times on 10 July: “I’d be doing a grave disservice if I said [Biden] was the best candidate to serve this fall. 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 … I really hope, with all my heart, that he will listen.”
Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)
The veteran progressive, who will be 76 when he retires this year, said: “No president has had more accomplishments under more difficult circumstances than President Joe Biden … [But] this is not just about extending his presidency but protecting democracy. 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.”
Hillary Scholten (Michigan)
On 11 July, the first-term Michigander salute Biden’s legacy and said she would vote for him if he ran, but because people voted for her to “represent them with integrity”, she had decided to speak out. “We must have a standard-bearer who will fight morning, noon and night for our civil and voting rights and unite the free world against the rising tide of authoritarianism,” Scholten said. “Joe Biden has been that leader for so long but … it’s time to pass the torch.”
Ed Case (Hawaii)
The same day, Case issued his call. “This has nothing to do with his character and record,” he said. “If it did there would be no decision to make. 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.”
Brad Schneider (Illinois)
Then came Schneider, with a call for Biden to “secure his legacy” by stepping aside. “We are faced with a stark choice,” Schneider said. “Be resigned to slog through this election praying we can successfully defend our democracy, or enthusiastically embrace a vibrant vision for our future, building on the extraordinary foundation President Biden has created for our nation over the past few years.” He also likened the situation to George Washington choosing to relinquish the presidency.
Greg Stanton (Arizona)
The swing state congressman also called on Biden to step aside on 11 July. Calling the president “one of our country’s most effective modern chief executives”, Stanton said: “The Democratic party must have a nominee who can effectively make the case against Trump, and have the confidence of the American people to handle the rigors of the hardest job on the planet for the next four years.”
Jim Himes (Connecticut)
Minutes after Biden’s Nato press conference ended on 11 July, Himes, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, released a statement. “It has been the honour of my career to work with him on the achievements that secured his remarkable legacy in American history,” he said. “I hope that, as he has throughout a lifetime of public service, he will continue to put our nation first and, as he promised, make way for a new generation of leaders.”
Eric Sorensen (Illinois)
Sorensen also made his move after Biden’s Nato press conference, saying: “It is more important than ever that our neighbors have a candidate for president who will communicate a positive vision for every person in this country. Every day I remain committed to the people of central and north-western Illinois. I believe our best days are still ahead. And today I am hopeful President Biden will step aside in his campaign for president.”
Scott Peters (California)
The California moderate also spoke after the Nato press conference, saying: “Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign. The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course. My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the president and those around him. We must find a candidate from our deep bench of talent who can defeat Donald Trump.”
Brittany Pettersen (Colorado)
The first-termer from the Denver suburbs issued her statement on 12 July, calling Biden a “good man who has served this country faithfully and admirably” but saying: “Joe Biden saved our country once and I’m joining the growing number of people in my district and across the country to ask him to do it again. Please pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders so we have the best chance to defeat Donald Trump.”
Mike Levin (California)
The Californian released a statement on 12 July, saying Biden had been an “outstanding leader”, so “making this statement is not easy”. But, he said, “I believe the time has come for President Biden to pass the torch. We must prevail against the incalculable threat Donald Trump poses to the American institutions of freedom and democracy … It is time to move forward. With a new leader. Together.”
Adam Schiff (California)
After a brief break in Democrats calling on Biden to step down, after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump last Saturday, the influential former House intelligence chair and current US Senate candidate released a statement to the Los Angeles Times, saying it was time for Biden to “pass the torch” and adding: “A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the president can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
Jim Costa (California)
On Thursday, as reports said Biden was considering stepping aside, the 10-term representative, 72, said: “I am proud of the work we have done to pass monumental legislation that is leading to the first real investments in our communities in decades. But for the good of the country, I think it is time for the president to pass the torch to the next generation to carry on the legacy he started.”
Sean Casten (Illinois)
The 21st House Democrat to call for Biden to step down represents a safe seat in the Chicago suburbs. On Friday, in a column for the Chicago Tribune, he said: “Politics, like life, isn’t fair. And as long as this election is … litigated over which candidate is more likely to be held accountable for public gaffes and ‘senior moments’, I believe that Biden is not only going to lose but is also uniquely incapable of shifting that conversation.”
Jared Huffman (California), Marc Veasey (Texas), Chuy Garcia (Illinois), Mark Pocan (Wisconsin)
Next, four representatives released a joint statement. Addressing Biden “with great admiration for you personally, sincere respect for your decades of public service and patriotic leadership, and deep appreciation for everything we have accomplished together during your presidency”, they said it was nonetheless time “to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders [and] defeat Donald Trump to save our democracy, protect our alliances and the rules-based international order”.
Zoe Lofgren (California)
A senior member of the Democratic House caucus and a member of the House January 6 committee, Lofgren released a letter to Biden on Friday. Saying she had listened to his “reflections”, and saluting his “righteous” policy achievements, she nonetheless said it was time for Biden to go. “Simply put,” she wrote, “your candidacy is on a trajectory to lose the White House and potentially impact crucial House and Senate races … I urge you to step aside.”
Greg Landsman (Ohio)
The congressman from Cincinnati – the city named after Cincinnatus, a Roman dictator who relinquished power and to whom many compared George Washington after he resigned as president – said he had devoted “weeks of consideration and hundreds of conversations with constituents” to the matter, and had “come to the conclusion that Joe Biden is no longer the best person” to take on Trump this year.
Betty McCollum (Minnesota)
On Friday, the hits kept coming. In a statement, McCollum said: “Winning in November and defeating Trump’s dangerous, hate-filled agenda must be Democrats’ sole focus. To give Democrats a strong, viable path to winning the White House, I am calling upon President Biden to release his delegates and empower Vice-President Harris to step forward to become the Democratic nominee for president.” She also urged Democrats to make Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor, running mate to Harris.
Kathy Castor (Florida)
Speaking to a TV channel in her state, Castor said Biden had “served this country well” and “accomplished more … than any president since Lyndon Johnson”. But she also said: “I think it’s an exciting time to possibly pass the torch. There is a lot at stake this election.”
Morgan McGarvey (Kentucky)
In a post on X on Friday, the first-term congressman from Kentucky called Biden an “effective and empathetic leader” but added “that’s why there’s no joy in the recognition he should not be our nominee in November. But the stakes of this election are too high and we can’t risk the focus of the campaign being anything other than Donald Trump.”
Reported: Jerry Nadler (New York), Mark Takano (California), Joe Morelle (New York)
According to multiple reports earlier this month, three senior Democrats joined Smith in using a private call arranged by Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, to call for Biden to stand down. Ass the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, Nadler’s voice carries weight. On Capitol Hill, though, he told reporters: “As the president said, 90% of Democrats voted for him in the primaries and that’s the end of the matter.”
Senate
Peter Welch (Vermont)
On 10 July, Welch called on Biden to withdraw, becoming the first Senate Democrat to do so. Welch said he was worried because “the stakes could not be higher”. Welch said in a Washington Post opinion piece: “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.”
Jon Tester (Montana)
It took more than a week for another Senate Democrat to speak out but it was a big one. The Montana senator (and farmer) is an outsized as well as rare presence on Capitol Hill, a Democratic senator from a red state. Facing a tough re-election challenge, his decision to go public pointed to fears of down-ballot problems. “I have worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong,” Tester said on Thursday. “And while I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term.”
Martin Heinrich (New Mexico)
On Friday, the third senator to publicly call for Biden to go said: “While the decision to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is in the best interests of the country for him to step aside. By passing the torch, he would secure his legacy as one of our nation’s greatest leaders and allow us to unite behind a candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump and safeguard the future of our democracy.”
Sherrod Brown (Ohio)
Late Friday evening. the Ohio senator’s campaign sent out an email statement: “Over the last few weeks, I’ve heard from Ohioans on important issues, such as how to continue to grow jobs in our state, give law enforcement the resources to crack down on fentanyl, protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts, and prevent the ongoing efforts to impose a national abortion ban. These are the issues Ohioans care about and it is my job to keep fighting for them. I agree with the many Ohioans who have reached out to me. At this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues. I think the President should end his campaign.”
