Congresswoman Susan Wild (D-7th District) confirmed that she raised concerns “about the possibility of President Biden being elected at the top of the ticket” during a call with House Democrats on Sunday.
CNN reported Wild was among the House Democrats “who opposed Biden as a candidate” during the call. She appears to be the most prominent Pennsylvania Democrat to suggest Biden could drop out as the presumptive 2024 Democratic nominee after his lackluster performance in the June 27 presidential debate and amid speculation that he is too elderly for the job.
“In a confidential conversation with other members of the House Democratic leadership, I expressed the same concerns that Americans across the country — and here in my district — are grappling with about the possibility of electing President Biden at the top of the ticket,” Wild said in a statement to the Capital-Star. “I expressed those concerns after spending days talking to my constituents about the importance of this election when reproductive rights, workers’ rights and democracy are all on the ballot.”
The conversation took place as Biden campaigned in Pennsylvania on Sunday, speaking at a church and campaign office in Philadelphia and at a union hall in Harrisburg. At the outdoor event in Harrisburg, Biden shook hands and chatted with supporters for about 45 minutes after his brief remarks, despite temperatures in the mid-90s.
Biden returns to battleground Pennsylvania for campaign events in Philadelphia and Harrisburg
Wild appeared with first lady Jill Biden in Allentown on July 2, and when reporters asked then whether President Biden should concede, Wild said, “I’m not talking politics today.” She joined President Biden on a visit to the Lehigh Valley in January and praised “the important work the president has done to drive down costs and invest in infrastructure, and of course, prosecuting Donald Trump on the issue of democracy and freedom.”
And in February, when special counsel Robert Hur, in his report on Biden and his handling of classified documents, described the president as a “sympathetic, kind, older man with a poor memory,” Wild he told NBC News Biden was “very sharp, had no memory problems, and his only stumble was when he stumbled over words, consistent with his long-standing speech impediment.”
Wild is seeking a fourth term and has been a prolific fundraiser. She said Sunday that she will “continue these important conversations while putting the interests of my constituents first in every decision and statement I make.”
Most top Pennsylvania Democrats have expressed support for Biden to remain on the ticket, even as calls for him to step aside in favor of a younger candidate continue to grow. But U.S. Rep. Summer Lee (D-12th District) he said on a radio show on July 3 that Biden will need to show “he’s up to the task” if he decides to stay in the race.
Biden said he has no intention of resigning.
