7 Democrats Who Have Called on Biden To Step Down After Disastrous Presidential Debate

7 Democrats Who Have Asked Biden to Step Down From the Ticket

An increasing number of donors and politicians alike are calling for President Joe Biden to step down as the Democratic nominee after his appalling performance in his first 2024 presidential debate against Donald Trump. June 27 heightened questions about his age and mental acuity. Biden in conversation with MSNBC, in response, challenged the 'elites in the party', who are driving calls for his resignation, to run against him. He encouraged, “Go ahead. Announce for president – challenge me at the convention!” While no one has gone so far as to run against him, many continue to publicly voice concerns. Here's a list of seven Democrats who have made the bold suggestion.

1. Lloyd Doggett 

Texas Democratic Representative, Lloyd Doggett, became the first serving member of Congress to publicly urge Biden to drop out of the presidential contest. Doggett's statement confirmed what many elected officials had been speculating behind closed doors, CNN reported. “I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same,” Doggett said in his statement. “Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so,” Doggett added.

2. Raúl Grijalva

Grijalva is a powerful senior progressive from a crucial battleground state, Arizona. Just like Doggett, the 76-year-old told The New York Times, “What [Biden] needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat – and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.” He emphatically argued, "[Democrats] have to win this race, and we have to hold the House and hold the Senate,” because otherwise, all the achievements under Biden would “go down the sewer.”

3. Adam Smith

The senior Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee stated on July 8 that the party's presidential nominee needs to be able to convince the American people of their position in an understandable, persuasive, and powerful manner. “The president’s performance in the debate was alarming to watch and the American people have made it clear they no longer see him as a credible candidate to serve four more years as president,” Smith said. “Since the debate, the president has not seriously addressed these concerns.” In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, the Democrat doubled down and opined, “Kamala Harris would be a much better and stronger candidate.”

4. Mikie Sherrill

The Democrat from New Jersey also called upon Biden to step down in a statement on July 9, emphasizing that she could not remain silent given the serious consequences of a second Trump presidency. As per NBC News, she reasoned, “I know that President Biden and his team have been true public servants and have put the country and the best interests of democracy first and foremost in their considerations...And because I know President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country, I am asking that he declare that he won’t run for re-election and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee.”

5. Angie Craig

The Congresswoman released her statement on X, in which she pled with Biden's campaign to make the right decision. “Given what I saw and heard from the president during last week’s debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the president himself following that debate, I do not believe that the president can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump. That’s why I respectfully call on President Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee for a second term as president and allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward.”

6. Mike Quigley

The Illinois Democrat appeared on CUOMO and spoke favorably of Biden, but still maintained he needed to drop out. “As president on his worst day, he’s 10 times better than Trump. But as a candidate, that’s just not the case,” Quigley said. “It’s odd, but it’s two different things. We haven’t had a good day since the debate.” Quigley praised Biden’s legacy of public service, but explained that his plea for him to step down goes beyond 'loyalty'. He stressed, “This is one of the most important arguments we can make. I think whatever action we take has to happen now for this to work at all.”

7. Seth Moulton 

Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who had earlier challenged Biden back in 2020 when he announced his presidential campaign, publicly called on him to step out of the presidential race last week. “President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding fathers, George Washington’s, footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise and run against [former President Trump],” Moulton said on Boston-area radio station WBUR. Later that day, Moulton doubled down on his statements. "I watched the debate. To be candid, I thought it was a disaster for the president. I think that was the reaction of most Americans who watched it. I came out of it saying we need to do something differently here," Moulton told WBZ-TV.