“While it is President Biden’s choice whether to step back from the campaign trail, I believe the time has come to hand the baton to the president,” Schiff said.
Schiff joined 22 other Democrats in calling for Biden to step down, according to a Washington Post tally. He is the first to publicly call for Biden to step down since a gunman tried to assassinate Trump at a campaign rally and since the Republican National Convention began in Milwaukee.
Schiff is a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who paved the way for Biden’s departure and was the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee who led the initial effort to impeach Trump.
Schiff, in a statement, vowed to support whoever is nominated, even if Biden ultimately is the pick.
“There is only one goal: to defeat Donald Trump. The stakes are too high,” Schiff said.
