House Democrats Consider Demanding Biden Withdraw From Race (2)

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers are considering signing a letter demanding that President Joe Biden withdraw from the race, a senior party official said, as panic mounts that he’ll cost them control of Congress.

Biden is rapidly losing the support of Democratic lawmakers and candidates concerned the 81-year-old incumbent’s continued candidacy would lead to a Republican sweep of Washington and an unchecked Donald Trump presidency.

Democrats running for reelection in traditionally safe Democratic districts are circulating the letter, the official said, underscoring how widespread the panic is within the party.

The White House earlier Wednesday denied a New York Times report that the president was considering bowing out of the contest just four months before the election. But congressional Democrats raise concerns that Biden’s presence at the top of the ticket is a liability.

Read More: Biden Faces Mounting Pressure as Report Says He Is Weighing Exit

Controlling even one chamber of Congress would give Democrats the ability to negotiate with a Trump White House on the approaching 2025 battles over tax cuts and the debt ceiling. Democrats’ best chance had been to win the House, but there’s concern that Biden’s performance will depress Democratic turnout.

Arizona Representative Raul Grijalva on Wednesday joined fellow Democrat Lloyd Doggett of Texas in publicly calling for Biden to step aside. Grijalva, a progressive, told the New York Times that he’d support Biden if he’s the nominee but urged the president to “get out of this race.”

Several others have distanced themselves from the president.

“I reject the notion this was a bad night and everything’s OK,” Representative Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat, told Bloomberg News. “This was a bad night, and it’s a serious situation that has to be dealt with.”

Charles Myers, Signum Global Advisors chairman and founder, a top donor to Biden’s campaign, said during an interview on “Bloomberg Surveillance” that events are moving “much faster against the president” than he expected.

“I think they got probably another five to six days,” he said.

Watch: Things Are Moving Fast Against President, Top Donor Says

Myers said he was with Biden Friday night, and the president “was very together and very alert. So he needs to show that to the American people.”

Biden called Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday and was slated to speak to close ally South Carolina Representative James Clyburn Wednesday, people familiar with the calls said.

Clyburn earlier on CNN said Biden needs to conduct “town hall” style events to prove his mental acuity and assuage fears over his candidacy.

If Biden cannot continue to run, Clyburn said he would support an open convention to choose a nominee, adding he thinks Vice President Kamala Harris would do well in that process.

Biden on Tuesday called House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who has been trying to quell the anxiety among rank-and-file Democrats. The feeling is particularly acute among the dozens of Democrats in close races.

The president had earlier asked Jeffries, who is well regarded within the party, to stave off calls for him to withdraw. Multiple sources declined to discuss the tone of the follow-up call between Biden and Jeffries, but one described it as a very private discussion.

One House aide said members feel betrayed by Biden and his staff because of how the president handled the aftermath of the debate.

(Updates with Grijalva, in sixth paragraph.)

--With assistance from Jennifer Jacobs and Akayla Gardner.

To contact the reporters on this story:
Billy House in Washington at bhouse5@bloomberg.net;
Erik Wasson in Washington at ewasson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Megan Scully at mscully32@bloomberg.net

John Harney

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