Washington — Several senior House Democrats said Sunday that President Biden should end his re-election campaign following his recent debate performancemultiple people told CBS News.
Reps. Jerry Nadler of New York, Mark Takano of California, Adam Smith of Washington and Joe Morelle of New York said Sunday during a Zoom meeting with the House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries that Mr. Biden should drop out of the race, according to a person on the call and three others familiar with the meeting.
Reps. Jim Himes of Connecticut, Don Beyer of Virginia and Jamie Raskin of Maryland also expressed skepticism about the president’s electoral chances, said the member on the call and a person familiar with the meeting.
Beyer’s office reaffirmed its support for Mr. Biden on Sunday, despite early reports that he was part of the group calling on the president to step down. After news of the call broke, Beyer also issued a statement saying he supported Mr. Biden.
“I support the Biden-Harris ticket and look forward to helping defeat Donald Trump in November,” Beyer said. “I was proud to host an event this week in Northern Virginia with the president and will continue to do everything I can to support the Biden-Harris campaign in Virginia and across the country.”
CBS News has reached out to all members who sources say have expressed reservations about the president’s chances or said he should withdraw from the race.
A spokesman for Jeffries declined to comment on the call.
Rep. Susan Wild, who represents Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, said in a statement that she “expresses the same concerns that Americans across the country are facing about President Biden’s electability as the front-runner.”
“It does not serve the country well for this difficult process to unfold amid leaks and rumors,” Wild said. “The Democratic Caucus in Congress is a very diverse group, and there are many opinions about what should happen next. That’s why I’ve always believed it’s important for people to have a voice in a confidential setting, so that we can all benefit from what others think. In the days and weeks ahead, I will operate as I always have, continuing to have these important conversations while keeping the best interests of my constituents at the forefront of every decision and statement I make.”
Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts said in a statement: “Ultimately, President Biden defeated Trump in 2020, and now, bolstered by his historic record of success, he will do it again in November. Trump is a lying, convicted felon who has always thought of himself, and the American people know it. As I said earlier, Republicans are the greatest threat to the health of our democracy, our economy, and our people, and the President knows what is at stake. I stand with him the rest of the way, fighting like hell to defeat these threats.”
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The meeting came after House Democratic leaders convened a telephone meeting last week amid a slow trickle of Democratic lawmakers calling for his removal. On Saturday, Representative Angie Craigwho represents a border district in Minnesota, became the latest House Democrat to call on the president to drop out of the race. And attention is expected to shift to the president’s support in Congress as lawmakers return from recess this week.
Meanwhile, Mr. Biden has appeared defiant in recent days, making clear that he intends to stay in the race despite concerns from some in his party. interview Asked Friday about whether President Donald Trump would resign in the presence of ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, Biden brushed off the question, saying: “They’re not going to do that.”
The president said he had an hour-long conversation with Jeffries and spent “many hours” with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The president also convened a White House meeting with Democratic governors last week.
“If the Lord Almighty came down and told Joe to pull out of the race, I would pull out of the race,” the president said. “The Lord Almighty is not going to come down.”
Meanwhile, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner has been talking to fellow Democrats about ways to convince the president to step aside and let other candidates seek the nomination, a senator contacted by Warner told CBS News on Thursday. The senator noted at the time that there were no official plans yet.
Fin Gómez contributed reporting.
