Legislators are grappling with a crisis that could potentially turn the presidential election and American history upside down due to President Joe Biden's poor debate performance. Despite concerns about his age and suitability, Biden has said he has no intention of withdrawing from the contest against Donald Trump. Democrats are debating how to approach the 81-year-old, who is meant to lead the Democratic Party's drive, as they argue that the election's stakes are enormous and threaten the fundamentals of American democracy.
Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett became the first Democratic member of Congress to urge Biden to drop out of the race, expressing hope that he will take the tough and painful choice to step down. Some additional congressional Democrats have expressed vocal concerns over Biden's mental health and the openness provided by his team, leaning in favor of the notion that Biden ought to step down. Representative Jamie Raskin stated that "everyone is asking one question within the Democratic Party... which is how do we defeat Donald Trump and how are we going to defeat the threat of authoritarianism."
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse expressed horror at both Biden's performance and Trump's lies during the debate, stating that people want to make sure this is a campaign ready to go and win. Some believe that Biden's shortcomings may dampen the excitement of prospective voters, hurting Democrats' chances of holding onto a slim Senate majority and regaining control of the House. Some susceptible Democrats have refrained from explicitly urging Biden to step down, but they have presented the problem succinctly: If Biden persists, he will lose.
Senior Democratic politicians are being considered as potential candidates to convince President Biden to rescind his candidacy, while Biden's family is pushing him to continue running. Leading Democrats have mostly supported Biden in public remarks, with House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries stating that there have not been discussions among senior leadership about anything other than articulating a compelling vision for the future to the American people related to the issues of importance around the economy. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer of New York said on Twitter that it gave voters the option of "four more years of progress, or four more years of attacks on our fundamental rights and our democracy."
This week, Biden had conversations with leaders of Congress, the White House said on Tuesday. Many of Biden's supporters have chastised the media for focusing so much on Biden's mental state, claiming that the attention should be directed at Trump's history of lying and refusing to recognize the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden. Texas Democrat Rep. Veronica Escobar, a member of Biden's campaign committee, said, "I think there needs to be a real conversation about the things that Donald Trump said." Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., one of Biden's surrogates during the discussion, downplayed worries and said, "Joe Biden has our full support."
The June 27 debate brought a fresh dynamic to the election campaign, with voters having already chosen between Biden and Trump in 2020 and were acquainted with both of them. South Carolina Democrat Rep. James Clyburn, who assisted Biden in securing the Democratic candidacy for 2020, encouraged his party to "stay the course" and continued to back Biden for president. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is recommending that Biden prove to the American people that he's ready for another four years in office by going out and taking tough interviews.
Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett became the first Democratic member of Congress to urge Biden to drop out of the race, expressing hope that he will take the tough and painful choice to step down. Some additional congressional Democrats have expressed vocal concerns over Biden's mental health and the openness provided by his team, leaning in favor of the notion that Biden ought to step down. Representative Jamie Raskin stated that "everyone is asking one question within the Democratic Party... which is how do we defeat Donald Trump and how are we going to defeat the threat of authoritarianism."
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse expressed horror at both Biden's performance and Trump's lies during the debate, stating that people want to make sure this is a campaign ready to go and win. Some believe that Biden's shortcomings may dampen the excitement of prospective voters, hurting Democrats' chances of holding onto a slim Senate majority and regaining control of the House. Some susceptible Democrats have refrained from explicitly urging Biden to step down, but they have presented the problem succinctly: If Biden persists, he will lose.
Senior Democratic politicians are being considered as potential candidates to convince President Biden to rescind his candidacy, while Biden's family is pushing him to continue running. Leading Democrats have mostly supported Biden in public remarks, with House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries stating that there have not been discussions among senior leadership about anything other than articulating a compelling vision for the future to the American people related to the issues of importance around the economy. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer of New York said on Twitter that it gave voters the option of "four more years of progress, or four more years of attacks on our fundamental rights and our democracy."
This week, Biden had conversations with leaders of Congress, the White House said on Tuesday. Many of Biden's supporters have chastised the media for focusing so much on Biden's mental state, claiming that the attention should be directed at Trump's history of lying and refusing to recognize the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden. Texas Democrat Rep. Veronica Escobar, a member of Biden's campaign committee, said, "I think there needs to be a real conversation about the things that Donald Trump said." Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., one of Biden's surrogates during the discussion, downplayed worries and said, "Joe Biden has our full support."
The June 27 debate brought a fresh dynamic to the election campaign, with voters having already chosen between Biden and Trump in 2020 and were acquainted with both of them. South Carolina Democrat Rep. James Clyburn, who assisted Biden in securing the Democratic candidacy for 2020, encouraged his party to "stay the course" and continued to back Biden for president. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is recommending that Biden prove to the American people that he's ready for another four years in office by going out and taking tough interviews.
