WASHINGTON (AP) — The atmosphere on Capitol Hill became unclear Tuesday as Democrats battled to win the presidential election. Joe Biden’s Before them stands the particular question of whether to support his reelection and his candidacy or urge him to back down amid concerns about his ability to lead them to victory.
House and Senate Democrats met behind closed doors amid rising tensions, with lawmakers describing the conversations on the House floor as “somber” and “sad.” steadfastly refuse to back down And I begged them A harshly worded letter Shifting focus from him to the Republican threat Donald TrumpThere were even fewer remarks in the Senate, where Biden had a distinguished career.
Later that day, Rep. Mickey Sherrill of New Jersey, the No. 7 Democrat in the House, publicly urged Biden not to run for reelection, saying “the stakes are too high and the threats too real to be silent” as Trump seeks to return to the White House.
What should have been a chance for Democrats to shore up a president who remains popular with some despite his poor debate performances and public behavior has instead thrown Democrats into crisis with real fears they could lose the White House and Congress and see the rise of Trump’s second term.
Earlier, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said lawmakers had had an “opportunity to express their views openly and comprehensively” in the closed-door meeting and that discussions would continue.
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It’s a remarkable moment for the president and his party, with Democrats in Congress seriously doubting Biden will come out on top as a candidate. a few weeks ago She attended the Democratic National Convention to help secure his nomination for a second term.
Biden’s supporters have been the most vocal, with at least one leading House Democrat reversing course and publicly endorsing the president, but no deal is in sight and opposition remains strong. Political future It was a notable issue.
Asked if there was any consensus, Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, one of Biden’s closest allies, said: “The consensus is that Donald Trump is a threat and that’s what we should focus on.”
During a closed-door meeting of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, concerns were raised that Biden’s continued campaign would mean the race would focus on his age rather than Trump’s, one of the people who attended the meeting said.
At least 20 Democrats stood to speak during the roughly two-hour meeting, which for many became a moment of national importance as it considered a second term for Trump.
Another person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the meeting, said most of those who spoke wanted Biden to drop his candidacy.
That includes Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who leads the House veterans caucus and is among the Democrats who have publicly called for Biden to step down.
For now, some have set aside personal concerns to support Biden. “He said he’s staying. He’s our nominee and we support him,” Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, told CNN. Nadler was among those who privately said last weekend that Biden shouldn’t run.
“I’m with Dad,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-New York. He said his constituents understand what the country has been through during the COVID-19 pandemic and how Biden has navigated the crisis. “He’s healthy then and he’s healthy now.”
Many Democrats are worried not only about the presidential election, but also their own sub-elections for control of the House and Senate, and whether they can stop Trump and his conservative allies. Project 2025 Agenda It’s a plan to weaken the federal government.
“He can’t win so he should just resign,” said Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Illinois.
One Democratic lawmaker, who declined to give his name, said afterward that people love Biden but feel really powerless about the situation and the threat of consequences if Democrats lose the election. The situation is “sad,” the lawmakers said.
After the closed-door Senate lunch, most senators were hesitant to explicitly support Biden or say they wanted him out of office.
“I think we should do everything in our power to defeat Trump, and I’m really excited about that,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-Jersey) said.
Several House Democrats have now publicly called on Biden to drop out of the race, but no Senate Democrats have publicly called on Biden to drop out of the race.
Most of the Democratic senators who spoke at the lunch expressed deep concerns about whether Biden could beat Trump in November’s presidential election but stopped short of saying he should drop out of the race, according to a person familiar with the conversations who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Several senators defended Biden.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York reiterated, “I’ve said it before, I’m with Joe.”
As an alternative, some are looking more seriously at Vice President Kamala Harris.
Representative Jared Huffman of California, the House Democratic leader, Task Force Biden, who is running with Project 2025, said Democrats need to get back to taking on President Trump and that if he becomes the top candidate, they can win the election.
But he said that even if Biden’s decision to stay on changes, “it’s not the end of the world, in my view.”
“I think we’re going to have a great person as vice president. She’s brilliant and she’s well prepared.”
Huffman said Democrats, unlike House Republicans, “can have principled disagreements without fighting like ferrets in a phone booth.”
Republicans face a history-making political situation as they prepare to nominate a former president who became the first person ever to be convicted of a felony in a hush-payment case and is facing federal criminal indictment. Efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election He lost to Biden.
After an initial muted response to Biden’s disastrous debate performance, the White House and campaign are now working more ferociously to put an end to the drama, including by bringing together some of the president’s staunchest supporters to speak.
The president met virtually later Monday with the Congressional Black Caucus, a core member of Biden’s campaign, to thank them for their support and pledge to back him for a second term. He is also scheduled to meet with the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whose leadership has publicly pledged to support the president, along with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Jasmine Crockett, a freshman Democrat from Texas, said the risks were too great to turn away from Biden at this point in the race and that a Trump reelection would be extremely harmful to Black Americans across the country.
“We’re not going to jeopardize our freedom to make someone feel better because a different name is on the ballot,” she said.
“That’s why I feel confident, because I’ve watched more than 90 minutes of the campaign that everyone is worried about,” added Crockett, who campaigned with Biden.
And Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who gave up his 2024 Democratic presidential bid a few months ago, was asked by reporters whether he felt vindicated by Democrats’ call for Biden to step down. “If this is vindication, there has never been a more unsatisfactory vindication,” he said.
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Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
