In the weeks since President Biden’s catastrophic debate performance, panicked Democrats have increased pressure on the president to abandon his re-election bid.
Top Democratic Party officials, megadonors, editorial writers and as many as 37 congressional lawmakers have urged the president to “pass the torch” to a new generation of leadership for fear that Biden cannot defeat Republican nominee former President Trump.
Biden’s top campaign aides have been working damage control with major donors, while the White House — and Biden himself — remain adamant he is the right man to lead the party.
SCHUMER ‘FORCEFULLY’ TOLD BIDEN HE SHOULD DROP HIS RE-ELECTION BID: REPORT
President Biden participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 election season against former President Trump. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
“Absolutely the president is in this race. You’ve heard him say that time and again,” Biden Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“I’m not here to say this hasn’t been a tough several weeks for the campaign. There’s no doubt that it has been, and we’ve definitely seen some slippage in support,” she added. “But it has been a small movement.”
What follows is a list of congressional Democratic lawmakers who have called on Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential election.
BIDEN LOYALISTS, DEM LAWMAKERS ADMIT IT FEELS LIKE ‘GAME OVER’ FOR PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN: REPORT
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, was the first House Democrat to call on President Biden to drop out of the 2024 election. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
House Democrats (29 Total)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.
“President Biden should not be the Democratic presidential nominee.”
Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii
“I do not believe President Biden should continue with his candidacy.”
Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill.
“It is with a heavy heart and much personal reflection that I am therefore calling on Joe Biden to pass the torch to a new generation”
Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif.
“I think it is time for the President to pass the torch.”
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn.
“I believe he should step aside for the next generation of leadership. The stakes are too high.”
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas
“I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.”
Rep. Chuy Garcia, D-Ill.
“It is now time for you to pass the torch.” (Joint statement)
Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz.
“I’m going to support [Biden], but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere. … What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility of keeping that seat, and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn.
“I hope President Biden will step away.”
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif.
“It is now time for you to pass the torch.” (Joint statement)
Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio
“Joe Biden is no longer the best person to make that case.”
Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif.
“It is time to move forward. With a new leader. Together.”
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.
“I urge you to step aside from our Party’s nomination.”
Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn.
“To give Democrats a strong, viable path to winning the White House, I am calling upon President Biden to release his delegates and empower Vice President Harris to step forward.”
Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-3)
“There is no joy in the recognition he should not be our nominee in November.”
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.
“[N]ow is the time for him to follow in one of our founding father, George Washington’s footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump.”
Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif.
“Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign.”
Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo.
“Please pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders.”
Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn.
“The President did call me in March, a very gracious conversation, and I did endorse him, and I still endorse him. But it is time to step aside and turn this over to a new generation. My endorsement stays until he makes this decision.”
Rep. Marc Pocan, D-Wis.
“It is now time for you to pass the torch.” (Joint statement)
Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill.
“Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. 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.”
Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y.
“I’d be doing a grave disservice if I said he was the best candidate to serve this fall,” he said in a telephone interview. “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.”
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
“While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch.”
Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill.
“The time has come, however, for President Biden to heroically pass the torch to a new generation of leadership.”
Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich.
“President Biden has served his country well, but for the sake of our democracy, he must pass the torch to a new candidate for the 2024 election.”
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J.
“I am asking that he declare that he won’t run for reelection.”
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.
“And he has health care concerns. You saw that at the White House press conference today, where there were not clear answers given. So I just think at, this point, there are other people that could deliver that message better. And the stakes are so high.”
Rep. Eric Sorensen, D- Ill.
“I am hopeful President Biden will step aside.”
Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz.
“It is time for the President to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.”
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif.
“It has become clear to me that the demands of a modern campaign are now best met by the Vice President, who can seamlessly transition into the role of our party’s standard bearer.”
Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M.
“I believe too many of our fundamental freedoms and the wellbeing of our nation are at risk under a Trump presidency and President Biden should step aside to give Democrats the best opportunity to win this November.”
Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas
“It is now time for you to pass the torch.” (Joint statement)
TRUMP PREACHES UNITY AS HE ACCEPTS GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION DAYS AFTER SURVIVING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Biden delivers the annual State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the Capital building March 7, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)
Senate Democrats (Total 5)
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.
“I believe it is in the best interests of our country for him to step aside”
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont
“I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term.”
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt.
“For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.”
Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va. – (Manchin is an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats)
“With that, I come with a heavy heart to think the time has come for him to pass the torch to a new generation.”
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio
“At this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues. I think the President should end his campaign.”
3RD DEMOCRAT SENATOR CALLS ON BIDEN TO STEP ASIDE AS PRESURE ACCELERATES
Governors Wes Moore of Maryland, Kathy Hochul of New York and Tim Walz of Minnesota speak to reporters after a meeting with President Biden at the White House July 3, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Democratic governors
Twenty-three Democratic governors from across the nation descended on the White House earlier this month to meet with the embattled president, but after the gathering, only Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who leads the Democratic Governors Association, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore spoke to reporters to express their support.
Moore described the meeting with Biden as “honest” and “candid” and said the governors were “going to have his back.”
Hochul said Biden was “in it to win it” and that the trio had pledged their support to him “because the stakes could not be higher.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who many commentators have proposed as a possible Biden replacement, also took part in the White House meeting and backed the 81-year-old.
“I heard three words from the President tonight – he’s all in. And so am I,” Newsom posted on X on July 3. Newsom also publicly backed Biden immediately after the debate.
“You don’t turn your back because of one performance,” Newsom said after the debate. “What kind of party does that? This president has delivered. We need to deliver for him at this moment.”
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Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker has also publicly backed Biden, as has Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Hawaii Gov. Josh Green.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont did not outright say Biden should withdraw from the race but told reporters at an event in New Haven July 12 that he is “simpatico” with Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., who has called on Biden to drop out.
“I think we’ve come to the same conclusion,” Lamont said.
Fox News’ Kyle Morris, Alicia Acuna and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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