
WASHINGTON — Ten more Democratic lawmakers called on President Joe Biden on Friday to drop out of his reelection bid, the most votes in a single day since a impoverished debate performance shook his fellow Democrats’ confidence in his ability to win the November election.
10 Democrats on Friday, a day after former President Donald Trump he officially accepted his party’s nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, raising the total number of votes to 31, increasing pressure on Biden to drop out of the race.
While no member of the Democratic congressional leadership has publicly called on Biden to resign, several leading Democrats who were involved in leading Trump’s impeachment trials or in the investigations into the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol have expressed concerns, citing the threat the former president poses to democracy.
California Rep. Adam Schiff, who was the lead impeachment manager in Trump’s first impeachment trial, called on Biden to recuse himself, saying in a statement that he had “grave concerns” about the president’s ability to win a second term.
By contrast, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who was a member of the House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, stopped compact of explicitly calling for Biden to resign but urged the president to reconsider whether he should remain in the presidential race.
Biden remained at home in Delaware and has not scheduled any public events after tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday evening.
In an interview with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Friday morning, Biden campaign co-chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said the president is still “absolutely” in the race, even as a growing number of Democrats express concern about his ability to beat Trump.
“The president is definitely in the race, you’ve heard him say that many times,” she said. “He’s the best person to take on Donald Trump.”
But reports There was also word on Friday that Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden’s potential successor if he takes the unprecedented step of withdrawing from the race four months before Election Day, is scheduled to speak on the phone with top Democratic donors this afternoon.
According to media reports, Harris did not answer questions from reporters during his appearance at a Washington ice cream shop on Friday.
And 10 more Democratic lawmakers, including senior members who previously resigned from the presidency, said Friday that Biden should resign.
U.S. Representative Sean Casten of Illinois wrote Chicago Tribune editorial.
Representatives Jared Huffman of California, Marc Veasey of Texas, Jesús “Chuy” Garcia of Illinois and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin wrote a joint open letter to Biden saying: published on social media.
The quartet represents critical constituencies in the Democratic Caucus of the House of Representatives.
Veasey is the first member of the influential Congressional Black Caucus, which is among Biden’s most steadfast Democratic supporters, to join the call for his resignation. He is also a member of the moderate New Democrat Coalition.
Pocan is co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Garcia is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
US Senator Martin Heinrich from New Mexico and Reps. Greg Landsman of Ohio and Zoe Lofgren of California also issued their own statements. Betty McCollum of Minnesota told the Star Tribune that she wants Biden to step down and let Harris lead the ballot with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate.
Representative Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky published statement regarding X.
The phone calls came a day after Sen. Jon Tester, who is running in a tight re-election race in Montana, said in statement to Daily Montanan that Biden should withdraw.
Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who was one of the few Democrats to call on Biden to resign two weeks ago, elaborated on his view in an editorial Friday.
Moulton wrote in the Boston Globe that when he traveled to Normandy in June to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the president did not recognize him, even though they had known each other for a decade.
“Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem,” Moulton wrote. “It was a devastating realization, not because someone I care about had a rough night, but because everything hinges on Biden’s ability to beat Donald Trump in November.”