Campaign

Sherrod Brown on whether Biden should withdraw: ‘I’m not a pundit’

by Nick Robertson - 07/08/24 4:40 PM ET

Senator Sherrod Brown looks to the side while speaking at a congressional hearing. — Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press file
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) speaks during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on improving rail safety in response to the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment, on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 22, 2023.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) brushed off a question over the viability of President Biden’s campaign during a Monday event for Brown’s reelection.

Brown, who is running in what is expected to be one of the closest Senate races in the country, said he won’t wade into discussions about whether Biden should end his campaign.

“I’m not going to judge people in my party, what they’re saying or what Republicans are saying. I’m not a pundit,” Brown said at a Youngstown event when asked about the president, according to his campaign.

“I’ve talked to people across Ohio,” he continued. “They have legitimate questions about whether the president should continue his campaign, and I’ll keep listening to people.”

A rising number of Democrats have asked Biden to step down amid concerns over his age and electoral prospects following a poor debate performance last month.

Five Democrats in the House have publicly called on Biden to leave the campaign, and four more senior members said he should step aside Sunday on a leadership call.

No Senate Democrats have explicitly called on Biden to end his campaign, though Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) have been critical of the president in recent days.

The president has rejected the calls, committing to staying in the race and proving his ability to voters. In a MSNBC “Morning Joe” appearance Monday, Biden was defiant against the critics within his party.

“I’m getting frustrated by the elites in the party, ‘Oh, they know so much more,’” Biden said. “Any of these guys that don’t think I should run, run against me. Announce for president, challenge me at the convention.”

“I’m not going to explain any more about what I should or I shouldn’t do. I am running,” he later added.

The presidential race remains neck-and-neck. Trump has a 1.2 percentage point lead over the president in The Hill/Decision Desk HQ average of national polls. In Ohio, Trump has an 8.4 percentage point lead on average, while Brown leads GOP rival Bernie Moreno by 6.3 points.