President Biden said Friday he’ll return to the campaign trail next week after he recovers from COVID-19, even as the floodgates opened on Capitol Hill with panicked Democrats calling on him to step aside.
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Over the past 24 hours, more than a dozen Democrats in the House and Senate have urged the president to make way for a new candidate.
- The total is up to 31 Democrats in the House and three in the Senate.
The count has been rising by the hour, and includes:
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Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who is among the most vulnerable Democrats up for reelection, and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), who is running in a traditionally blue state that Republicans believe is up or grabs in November.
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Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas), who became the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus to come out against Biden.
- Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.), a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), who called on Biden to drop out on the same day the CHC’s super PAC endorsed Biden.
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Progressive Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.).
- Frontline Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio).
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) wrote a letter to Biden, which is indicative of where many Democrats stand:
“Your candidacy is on a trajectory to lose the White House and potentially impact crucial House and Senate races down ballot….I urge you to step aside from our Party’s nomination to allow another Democratic candidate to compete.”
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), who had previously called on Biden to step aside, had an eye-opening op-ed in the Boston Globe:
“I saw [Biden] in a small group at Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. For the first time, he didn’t seem to recognize me.”
Keep up with all the defections with Decision Desk HQ’s dropout tracker.
Despite the groundswell, the Biden campaign and White House blanketed the airwaves on Friday, insisting the president will stay in the race and win:
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Biden released a statement saying he’d return to the campaign trail next week after he’s recovered from COVID. “The stakes are high and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.”
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Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon made a rare appearance on cable news, going on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to insist Biden has a path to victory. “We believe on this campaign, we are built for the close election we are in and we see the path forward. He’s the best person to take on Donald Trump.”
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The campaign released a memo from battleground states director Dan Kanninen, who urged the party to stop fighting over Biden’s future and to focus on defeating Trump instead. “In a few short weeks, Joe Biden will be the official nominee. It is high past time we stop fighting one another. The only person who wins when we fight is Donald Trump.”
The Biden campaign and White House have been disputing every media report indicating Biden is considering backing out.
Among the recent reports:
The Hill: Biden decision on future expected in days, Harris considered heir apparent.
NBC News: Biden family discussing his possible exit.
Politico: Harris allies prep her defense.
The campaign’s efforts to stop the flow of speculation have been hampered by the mixed messaging coming from Biden’s closest allies, including Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.).
- At a panel in Aspen on Friday, Coons said Biden is “weighing” whether to remain in the race.
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Coons followed that up with a post on X saying Biden had made up his mind to stay in the race. “I fully support the President. He’s told me he’s in it to win it. I’m with him 100% because I know he can beat Trump just like he did last time.”
Ironically, Congress’s most progressive members have emerged as Biden’s most consistent and vociferous allies amid weeks of turbulence:
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said on MSNBC: “If we start focusing on his record, focusing on what he is trying to do, not only is he going to win it, he gives us a chance to win in a big way.”
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) warned establishment Democrats are trying to get rid of Biden and Vice President Harris.
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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) posted on X: “I can’t tell you all how shameful it feels to hear all these leaks about what Democratic leaders are [saying] and not to have a single one of them out here confirming or denying it. It’s a lack of leadership and it’s making all Democrats look bad.”
Perspectives:
The Washington Post: Rushing Biden’s nomination would be a grave mistake
CNN: Inside the Democrats’ doom loop.
The Free Press: Biden is riskier than Trump.
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