This list is expected to grow.
An increasing number of Democrats are voicing concerns about President Biden’s ability to lead the nation effectively, and more and more of them are urging him to reconsider his candidacy for the 2024 race following his disappointing debate performance in June.
Late last week, one of the party’s most high-profile leaders, California Rep. Adam Schiff, called on Biden to “pass the torch.” On the other hand, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered a more muted response, saying it’s up to Biden himself to “decide if he’s going to run.” Others, such as Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, decided to instead express their concerns privately to the president. And although technically no longer a member of the Democratic Party (he registered as an independent in May of this year), Joe Manchin became the latest lawmaker and fifth Senator to urge Biden to step down. The West Virginia lawmaker told CNN‘s “State of the Union” on Sunday that he’s “concerned about the president’s health and well-being” and called for an open nomination process. 36 Democratic lawmakers, along with Manchin, have urged Biden to exit the race.
Despite mounting pleas for him to drop out of the race, Biden has dismissed these concerns and vowed to stay in. He’s stated publicly that he has no doubt about his ability to lead, and that it shouldn’t come a surprise that polls have tightened as Election Day grows closer. “Look — we knew this — this was gonna be a close race from the moment [Trump] announced,” Biden told NBC News anchor Lester Holt on July 15.
But the president’s opinion could be shifting. According to a New York Times report, Biden has apparently grown more receptive to doubts that he’ll be victorious in November, and sources say “he has begun to accept the idea that he may not be able to win in November and may have to drop out of the race.”
This fallout couldn’t come at a more crucial time for the party, with the Democratic National Convention right around the corner. The nomination is set to take place at a virtual convention between July 21 and Aug. 7, thought there will still be an in-person convention, which kicks off on Aug. 19.
In the meantime, here’s a look at the notable Democrats (both inside and outside Congress) who’ve said Biden should remove himself from the top of the party’s ticket.
Democrats Publicly Calling for Biden to End or Reconsider His Campaign
California Rep. Adam Schiff
California Rep. Adam Schiff called on Biden to exit the 2024 race just days after former President Trump was shot in an assassination attempt. Schiff said the nation is now at a “crossroads,” warning that democracy is on the line.
“A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November,” he said in a statement.
Schiff, who’s running for Senate in California, also noted that he would support whoever becomes the Democratic nominee, even if Biden remains, arguing that “the stakes are just too high.” His remarks are especially noteworthy because he is the most prominent Democrat calling Biden to step down so far — and are being interpreted by some pundits as a sign that he has former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s backing.
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin made a not-so-subtle suggestion that the president should reconsider his campaign. In a letter dated July 6, Raskin addressed Biden as an admirer, supporter, friend, and “fellow politician,” according to The New York Times.
“We are under siege every day by the autocrats and monarchists, from Moscow to Mar-A-Lago, and the decisions we make will be historic for the fate of our country,” Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, wrote.
But much of the four-page letter praised Biden, and Raskin stopped short of directly saying the president should drop out. He wrapped up by comparing the president to Boston Red Sox player Pedro Martínez, whose refusal to quit ultimately cost his team a championship game.
“There is no shame in taking a well-deserved bow to the overflowing appreciation of the crowd when your arm is tired out, and there is real danger for the team in ignoring the statistics,” he concluded.
Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett
On July 2, Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first Democratic member of Congress to call for Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
“My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly, nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved,” Doggett said in a 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.”
The 77-year-old is a powerful member of the party as the No. 2 Democrat on the influential House Ways and Means Committee. He also represents the same congressional district that was once represented by President Lyndon Johnson, who he alluded to in his call for Biden to step down. “Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw,” Doggett said of LBJ. “President Biden should do the same.”
Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva
Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva was the second House Democrat to urge Biden to drop out. In an interview with The New York Times on July 3, he questioned whether Biden could win again and warned that a second Trump presidency could be “very, very dangerous” for Democracy.
While Grijalva said he’d still back Biden if he stays in the race, he added that it’s time for the party to find a new nominee, though he didn’t specify who should assume the role.
“If he’s the candidate, I’m going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere,” Grijalva told the newspaper. “What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”
Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton
Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton said Biden should step down, pointing to George Washington’s legacy of stepping down rather than seeking another term as the country’s first president.
“I think that can be President Biden’s legacy as well,” Moulton told Boston-area radio station WBUR in reference to Washington. “He defeated Donald Trump once and then he was willing to hand power over to a new generation of leaders. That’s the kind of amazing legacy that a great president like Biden deserves.”
The Massachusetts Democrat said he’d initially tried to contact Biden’s campaign privately, but when that proved unsuccessful, he decided to speak out. “I watched the debate,” Moulton said. “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.”
Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley
Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley has been among the most outspoken House Democrats wanting Biden to leave the race.
“The only thing that you can do now to cement that for all time and prevent utter catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do this,” Quigley told MSNBC on July 5 in reference to the president.
The Illinois Democrat has doubled down since those comments, saying Biden looked “very frail” during his sit-down interview with ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos. He also warned of major election losses up and down the ballot if the president remains the party’s nominee.
“The numbers that we’re facing here, not just in the White House race but in all of these congressional races, are not getting better,” Quigley told CNN on July 8. “So, we’re in a horrible situation until that gets resolved.”
That’s not all: Quigley even predicted that even more Democrats will call on Biden to drop out, forecasting an “unfortunately horrible week.”
Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig
Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig joined fellow Democrats in calling for Biden to drop his reelection campaign in the wake of his disastrous debate.
“This is not a decision I’ve come to lightly, but there is simply too much at stake to risk a second Donald Trump presidency,” Craig said in a statement on July 6. “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.”
Like her colleagues, she has said Biden’s post-debate appearances haven’t eased her concerns. “Now is the time to be candid with ourselves,” she told CBS. “I appreciate loyalty. This isn’t about loyalty, this is pragmatic politics to avoid a second Trump term.”
But her remarks are especially noteworthy because she’s running for reelection in a key swing seat that voted for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020.
Washington Rep. Adam Smith
Washington Rep. Adam Smith said he believes Biden “should step aside” and even called on the president to release his delegates to the Democratic National Convention so the party can put forward a new candidate.
“If the president continues his campaign, it would be a mistake,” he said in a statement. “He should step aside now so that we can find a new candidate that will put us in the strongest possible position to beat Donald Trump in November.”
As House Armed Services Committee chairman, Smith is now the highest-ranking Democrat to call on the president to end his campaign. According to sources familiar with the call, he was also one of four senior House Democrats who said during a private phone call on Sunday that Biden should withdraw from the race.
But who does he think should take over? Smith said he supports having Harris at the top of the ticket. “Personally, I think Kamala Harris would be a much better, stronger candidate and because she is, constitutionally, second. That’s the way it’s supposed to work,” he said.
New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill
New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill wants Biden to drop out of the race. In a statement, she said, “The stakes are too high — and the threat is too real — to stay silent.” Her decision came after a meeting Tuesday morning with fellow House Democrats about the presidential race.
In her letter, she also called on him to redirect his efforts toward identifying a new Democratic nominee. “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,” she said. “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 reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee.”
New York Rep. Pat Ryan
New York Rep. Pat Ryan urged Biden to end his reelection bid, saying he’d be doing a “grave disservice” if he were to claim the 81-year-old was the best person to take on Trump.
“I’d be doing a grave disservice if I said he was the best candidate to serve this fall,” Ryan, who’s a moderate, told The New York Times. “For the good of our country, for my two young kids, I’m asking Joe Biden to step aside in the upcoming election and deliver on the promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders.”
While he had supported Biden’s reelection campaign, he said his mind began to change after constituents told him they were “deeply concerned” about the president’s ability to win. The New York lawmaker is one of Democrats’ most vulnerable incumbents as Republicans look to flip his seat in November.
Michigan Rep. Hillary Scholten
Michigan Rep. Hillary Scholten called Biden to exit the presidential race and urged him to “allow a new leader to step up.”
“We just have too much at stake in this election to sit on the sidelines and be silent while we still have time to do something,” Scholten told The Detroit News.
While she praised Biden’s legacy, the first-term lawmaker said the American people couldn’t “unsee” the president’s poor debate performance last month, which has shaken their confidence in his ability to continue to lead the nation.
She added that she would vote for Biden if he decides to remain in the race, saying he’s a clear alternative to the “chaos and destruction” that Trump would bring if he returns to the White House.
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro
Following Doggett’s lead, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro took to the social platform X to say that Biden should quit the race. He warned that it’s “very likely” the president will lose the November election to Trump and said that other Democrats like Vice President Harris “stand a better chance of winning.”
It’s worth noting that Castro ran against Biden in the 2020 Democratic primaries and was quick to criticize his debate performance last week. “Joe Biden is a good man and has been a good president,” Castro wrote on the X. “But last week’s debate disturbingly demonstrated that he is unable to effectively prosecute the case against Donald Trump — much less inspire and mobilize voters to the polls.”
Former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan
Another one of Biden’s former rivals called on the party to replace the president. In a Newsweek op-ed, former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan said he believes Harris is the party’s “best path forward.”
“I was the first Presidential candidate to endorse Joe Biden in 2020. I love America. I love our Party. I love Joe Biden,” Ryan wrote. “The Democratic Nominee in 2024 should be Kamala Harris.”
Ryan has long been a Biden ally. After his own unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2020, he endorsed the president. He also previously served in the House for 20 years, but he lost his Senate race to Republican J.D. Vance in 2020.
Vermont Sen. Peter Welch
On Wednesday, Peter Welch became the first Democratic senator — and 10th congressional Democrat — to call for Biden to step down.
He wrote in the Washington Post: “The stakes could not be higher. We cannot unsee President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. We cannot ignore or dismiss the valid questions raised since that night.”
Welch said that while he understood why Biden believed he was the man to beat Trump having done so already, he needs to “reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so.” “In my view, he is not,” he added.
Democrats Who Have Expressed Concerns About Biden
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet was the first Democratic senator to publicly turn on Biden. In an interview with CNN on July 9, he warned Democrats could lose the House, the Senate, and the White House if the president remains the party nominee. “Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election and maybe win it by a landslide,” Bennet said on CNN on July 9.
Bennet also confirmed that he was one of three Senate Democrats who privately said Tuesday that they doubt Biden can beat Trump. “This race is on a trajectory that is very worrisome if you care about the future of this country,” Bennet said during the same CNN interview. “We could lose the whole thing, and it’s staggering to me.”
Though he didn’t outright call on Biden to withdraw, his comments mark a blow to the president’s campaign. The Colorado lawmaker previously ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, but he dropped out after failing to gain momentum in a very crowded field.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Biden must decide on whether to stay in the race, even though the president has already remained adamant about doing so.
“It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short,” Pelosi said Wednesday on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. However, when asked specifically if she wanted him to run, the 84-year-old declined to weigh in and deferred to the president. “I want him to do whatever he decides to do,” she told the network.
Even though the California Democrat is no longer in a leadership role, her comments are significant because she is still considered a prominent member of the Democratic caucus, and those within the party continue to look to her for guidance.
“Nancy Pelosi is a very deliberate person. She says what she wants to say. She never says what she doesn’t want to say. She said that for a reason,” Democratic strategist David Axelrod told CNN.
CNN reported late July 17 that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately told Biden that polls show he cannot beat Trump, and must step aside for the Democrats to have a chance in November. Biden apparently pushed back, saying polls showed he could win. CNN’s sources didn’t make it clear whether Pelosi personally believes Biden should step down.
