Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and three other senior House Democrats are calling for Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
According to Politico, Representatives Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Mark Takano (D-CA), Joe Morelle (D-NY), and Adam Smith (D-WA) have all called for Biden to step down from the 2024 presidential race.
The senior representatives made their request during a two-hour phone call with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Initially, according to the New York Post, the four senior House Democrats intended to discuss the Democrat Party’s concerns about Joe Biden’s electability during the call.
From Politico:
Several more senior House Democrats called on President Joe Biden to abandon his reelection bid during a private call convened by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday afternoon, according to several people participating.
Among those forcefully calling for Biden to stand down during the nearly two-hour call were Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), according to two people familiar with the private session.
Other members on the call voiced concerns about Biden’s path to November, including Reps. Jim Himes (Conn.), Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Don Beyer (Va.) and Rick Larsen (Wash.). It’s a poor omen for the Biden campaign as the entire Democratic elected apparatus prepares to return to Washington on Monday evening where lawmakers will face tough questioning about their party’s standard-bearer.
Aaron Fritschner, Beyer’s spokesperson, posted on X to push back on reports that Beyer called for a new nominee: “To be clear [Beyer] supports President Biden and said so on this call and any reporting to the contrary is a misunderstanding of what he said and what he believes.”
The additional calls for Biden to stand aside from senior Democrats come after the president’s interview last week with ABC News did nothing to assuage concerns among rank-and-file lawmakers about his continued viability in the race. Members have repeatedly urged the president to quickly schedule more unscripted events and town halls to continually demonstrate his vitality and energy.
It’s not just the House either. A group of Senate Democrats are reportedly planning a discussion of Biden’s path forward, led by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), once that chamber returns to Washington on Monday. Five House Democrats have publicly urged Biden to stand down, while numerous others have expressed concerns about his viability in private.
🚨BREAKING: Four More House Democrats call for Joe Biden to step aside:
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 7, 2024
-Jerry Nadler
-Mark Takano
-Adam Smith
-Joseph Morelle
https://t.co/jXyJ7DiJWj
From the New York Post:
Four more senior House Democrats are calling for President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid following a private call with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday, according to multiple reports.
Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), and Mark Takano (D-Calif.) have all called on the incumbent to step aside for the 2024 Presidential race during the two-hour call with Jeffries, sources told Politico, the New York Times and other outlets.
The four Democrats made their claims during a meeting of House Democrats on Sunday that was meant to address the party’s anxieties and concerns over Biden’s ability to win in November.
Nadler, Morelle, Smith and Takano join five other House Democrats who have issued statements questioning Biden’s reelection prospects following a poor performance during the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump.
Here is the full list of Democrats so far who have called for Joe Biden to step down:
- Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
- Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)
- Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA)
- Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)
- Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN)
- Jerry Nadler (D-NY)
- Mark Takano (D-CA)
- Joe Morelle (D-NY)
- Adam Smith (D-WA)
