United States: Democratic lawmakers have met privately to discuss President Biden’s troubled re-election bid amid ongoing concerns about his physical and mental fitness.
The closed-doors discussions on Tuesday brought to light the party’s continued disagreements about Biden’s electability in the wake of his appalling debate performance against Republican opponent Donald Trump last month.
Prominent Democrats, such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, spoke to reporters prior to and following the meeting and reaffirmed their support for Biden. Schumer frequently responded to inquiries concerning Biden’s suitability for office by saying, “I’m with Joe.”
Reporters were informed by South Carolina’s Jim Clyburn, “We’re riding with Biden.” Although the discussions seemed to preclude the prospect of a widespread uprising against Biden’s candidacy, at least for the time being, they were unable to offer a cohesive front.
Illinois Representative Dick Durbin stated that it “remains to be seen” if Biden will continue to be on the ticket. Steve Cohen of Tennessee responded, “We’re not even in the same book,” when asked if Democrats were all in agreement.
Shortly after the discussions, New Jersey Representative Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, became the eighth elected Democrat to publicly urge Biden to withdraw from the race.
“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. 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 re-election and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee,” Sherrill said in a statement.
Representative from Massachusetts in the House Lori Trahan joined others who expressed doubts about Biden’s capacity to defeat Trump, even if she refrained from explicitly urging him to step down.
The 81-year-old Biden has been working hard to win back support within his party ever since his shaky debate performance on January 27 sparked a renewed controversy about his age and health.
Biden stated that he is “firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump” in a message to Congressional Democrats on Monday.
It will be difficult for Biden to win reelection since, according to recent surveys, Trump is leading both nationally and in the key battleground states.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report changed the status of Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada from “toss-up” to “lean Republican” on Tuesday.
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