Wes Moore says he will not pursue Democratic nomination if Biden steps down

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) affirmed that he would not seek the Democratic nomination if President Biden dropped out of the race, emphasizing that Biden will stay in the presidential election.

“I will not, and Joe Biden is not going to take himself out of this race, nor should he. He has been a remarkable partner,” Moore said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” when asked if he would pursue the nomination.

Moore, 45, has been one of Biden’s top surrogates in his reelection campaign. He explained that although Biden did not have a strong debate performance, he deserved to be the nominee and to have the support of the members of his own party.

Biden’s debate performance sparked widespread concerns within the Democratic Party after he appeared to stumble over his words and misspeak at times. His performance prompted many, including The New York Times editorial board, to call on Biden to step down from the race.

CBS’s Margaret Brennan then asked Moore whether he was “confident that the only person, the only Democrat in America that could meet beat Donald Trump is Joe Biden.”

“Joe Biden is our nominee. Joe Biden is our leader. And Joe Biden has earned and Joe Biden deserves the confidence, the respect, and frankly, the partnership that we now have to provide to him. So I will be in Chicago. I will probably be supporting the president in Chicago. I will be a member to make sure he gets reelected. So yes, I think that President Biden has earned the respect,” Moore responded.

When asked why Biden did not have a strong debate performance, Moore said that Biden had a “tough night.”

“I think that the president had a difficult night just like every single one of us do,” he said.