Pressure is mounting on President Joe Biden from within his party to demonstrate his physical and mental fitness for office, with Democratic lawmakers publicly urging him to reconsider his re-election bid for the first time.
Biden’s candidacy has faced scrutiny since a challenging debate performance against Republican challenger Donald Trump, where the 81-year-old Democrat stumbled over his words and struggled to maintain coherence.
Representative Lloyd Doggett from Texas became the first Democrat to publicly call on Biden to withdraw from the race, referencing historical precedent in his statement.
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez from Washington stopped short of calling for Biden’s withdrawal but expressed concern that his debate performance could cost him the election.
Jared Golden from Maine also voiced skepticism about Biden’s chances against Trump.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Jim Clyburn joined in raising concerns about Biden’s condition, emphasizing the legitimacy of questioning his health following the debate.
While Democratic insiders have privately expressed doubts about Biden’s fitness, these public comments increase pressure on him to address concerns about his electability, which have overshadowed efforts by the White House and Democratic leaders like Barack Obama and Bill Clinton to mitigate them.
The White House announced Biden’s upcoming schedule to address these concerns, including meetings with Democratic governors and planned media appearances.
Despite acknowledging Biden’s poor debate performance, his campaign has rejected calls for him to step aside and dismissed claims of cognitive impairment.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre attributed Biden’s debate performance to illness and emphasized the administration’s commitment to refocusing their messaging.
In response to criticism about his travel schedule leading up to the debate, Biden admitted to poor decision-making and joked about nearly falling asleep on stage.
A CNN poll conducted after the debate indicated that a significant majority of registered voters believed Democrats would have a better chance at winning the election with a different nominee.
Vice President Kamala Harris defended Biden as the nominee and expressed confidence in defeating Trump again.
Despite ongoing concerns, potential Democratic replacements like California Governor Gavin Newsom and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg trailed Trump by similar margins as Biden in polling.
Biden’s debate struggles are the latest in a series of incidents raising questions about his age, a concern that has persisted among voters.
In an ABC News/Ipsos poll earlier this year, a large majority of respondents expressed doubts about Biden’s ability to serve another presidential term due to his age.
Harris firmly asserted her support for Biden as the Democratic nominee and reiterated their commitment to defeating Trump in the upcoming election.
