Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas has reportedly called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, marking a significant development within the Democratic Party.
This statement reflects concerns that have been discussed privately among elected officials.
“I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw,” Doggett said in his statement. “President Biden should do the same.”
Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s statement adds to the pressure on President Biden and his team following Biden’s underwhelming debate performance against former President Donald Trump. Doggett’s comments might encourage others to voice similar concerns.
Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett
Doggett suggested that Biden stepping aside could pave the way for a new generation of leadership, which he believes could better position the party to defeat Trump.
“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,” Doggett said. “I respectfully call on him to do so.”
Doggett said,
“In retrospect, I wish I had said it earlier because I think we needed — this needed to be a decision that was made much earlier in the process.”
Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, aged 77, explained on “AC360” that his seniority and relative political security allowed him to express views that might be shared by others who cannot speak out publicly.
He encouraged fellow Democrats who share his concerns about President Biden to voice their private apprehensions to the White House and to their Congressional representatives.
Earlier that day, Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois had also indicated a willingness to consider replacing Biden as the party’s presidential nominee.
“I think his four years are one of the great presidencies of our lifetime, but I think he has to be honest with himself,” Quigley told Kasie Hunt. “This is a decision he’s going to have to make.”
“We have to be honest with ourselves that it wasn’t just a horrible night, but I won’t go beyond that out of my respect and understanding of President Joe Biden, a very proud person who has served us extraordinarily well for 50 years,” he added.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a staunch ally of President Biden, emphasized on MSNBC that Biden should engage in multiple interviews to allow people to assess him effectively.
Lloyd Doggett
“I think it’s essential for them to do that,” Pelosi told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday.
Nancy Pelosi emphasized that it is President Biden’s decision whether to step aside. She noted that within her Democratic network, including donors, there have been mixed responses to Biden’s debate performance.
“I think it’s a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition,” Pelosi said, though she added that the same should be asked of Trump, citing his repeated lies during the debate.
Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, a key ally of President Biden, stated on MSNBC that he continues to support Biden as the presidential nominee. However, Clyburn also expressed readiness to back Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden were to withdraw from the race.
Clyburn affirmed, “I will support her if he were to step aside,” emphasizing that the Democratic Party should not circumvent Harris in any way. He reiterated his support for the current ticket of Biden and Harris, while acknowledging that future decisions would depend on upcoming events.
Many Democrats have been privately expressing concerns about President Biden’s candidacy.
Despite assurances from the Biden campaign and the White House that Biden will continue in the race, attributing his debate performance to a bad night rather than overshadowing his achievements, lawmakers from various factions of the party have been communicating their worries about Biden remaining as the presidential nominee.
A House Democratic lawmaker told that,
“There’s a large and increasing group of House Democrats concerned about the president’s candidacy, representing a broad swath of the caucus. We are deeply concerned about his trajectory and his ability to win. We want to give him space to make a decision [to step aside] but we will be increasingly vocal about our concerns if he doesn’t.”
