"Are You a CEO Interested in a Feature Interview?"
All Interviews are 100% FREE of Charge
On Friday, six Democratic lawmakers joined the growing list of elected officials calling on President Joe Biden to forgo reelection, all by 11 a.m. ET. Rep. Sean Kasten of Illinois said: Chicago TribuneSen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico issued a statement and four other senators wrote a joint letter.
With the president contracting COVID-19 and isolating at his beach house, pressure on his team is growing with top Democratic officials reportedly urging him to resign. The defections on Friday morning joined 20 other House Democrats and two senators who have called on the president to step down.
In his opinion piece, titled “It’s Time for Joe Biden to Pass the Baton,” Casten said he believes Biden will lose the general election. Though he began the piece praising Biden’s record and character, he said the president is no longer fit for the job.
“With heavy hearts and deep remorse, I call on Biden to pass the baton to a new generation,” he wrote, which he said would preserve Biden’s legacy.
Reps. Jared Huffman of California, Mark Veasey of Texas, Chuy Garcia of Illinois and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin said: Joint Letter He called on Biden to “pass the baton to a new generation of Democratic leadership.”
They, too, praised Biden’s personal and political achievements and said it was crucial for Democrats to defeat former President Donald Trump in November.
“You must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and health are jeopardizing a campaign you should win,” they wrote. “This perception may not be fair, but it was solidified in the aftermath of last month’s debate and is now unlikely to change.”
In their letter, the four representatives said Vice President Kamala Harris is the next generation of Democratic leaders, and many see her as the best candidate to run for office if Biden leaves office. Deep divisions within the Democratic Party are also evident in Garcia’s membership of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, whose fundraising arm endorsed Biden on Friday morning.
Heinrich adopted a similar format. The beginning of his speech After praising Biden’s accomplishments, he said it was important to keep Trump out of the White House.
“While the decision to withdraw from the campaign was President Biden’s own, I believe it is best for our country for him to step aside,” Heinrich said. “By passing the baton, he will protect his legacy as one of our nation’s great leaders and ensure we all unite behind the candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump.”
Biden has insisted he intends to continue the campaign, but some Democratic leaders are said to believe his resolve is beginning to weaken in the face of declining approval ratings and dismal poll numbers.
The fallout for Biden went beyond Friday morning: Shortly after this story was first published early Friday afternoon, three Democratic senators — Rep. Greg Landsman of Ohio, Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California and Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky — called on Biden to resign.