Although President Joe Biden has made it clear he’s staying in the presidential race despite his shaky performance at last month’s presidential debate, several Democrats on Capitol Hill have publicly called on him to step aside.
The list has grown following the debate and after Biden’s interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos last week.
Here is the current list of Democrats who have publicly asked Biden to step aside.
On July 17, Rep. Adam Schiff called on Biden to drop out of the race and “pass the torch.”
“Joe Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better,” Schiff said in a statement released by his office.
“But our nation is at a crossroads. A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November,” he continued, then calling on the president to “pass the torch.”
“While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election,” Schiff said.
“But make no mistake, whoever our party ends up nominating, or if the nomination remains with the president, I will do everything I can to help them succeed. There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high,” he added.
The California congressman said in a statement on July 12 that he heard from “several hundred” of his constituents and they shared his concern about Biden’s viability in November.
“Once again, our national mettle must be forged in the crucible of history. It is time to move forward. With a new leader. Together,” Levin said.
The freshman representative from Colorado posted a lengthy statement on X on July 12 urging Biden to “pass the torch” to “one of our many capable Democratic leaders so we have the best chance to defeat Donald Trump.”
“Joe Biden saved our country once, and I’m joining the growing number of people in my district and across the country to ask him to do it again,” Pettersen said.
Adding to the growing list of Democratic representatives calling for Biden to exit the presidential race, Rep. Eric Sorensen of Illinois released a statement following the NATO press conference on July 11.
“In 2020, Joe Biden ran for President with the purpose of putting country over party. Today, I am asking him to do that again,” Sorensen said.
“I am hopeful President Biden will step aside in his campaign for President,” he said.
House Democratic Rep. Scott Peters of California called on President Biden to step aside from the presidential race following Biden’s NATO press conference on July 11.
“Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign,” Peters said, adding, “The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course. My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and to democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the President and those around him.”
“We must find a candidate from our deep bench of talent who can defeat Donald Trump,” Peters said.
Following President Biden’s NATO press conference, Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes released a statement, calling on Biden to “step away from the presidential campaign.”
Himes serves as a ranking Democratic member in the House Intelligence Committee.
“The 2024 election will define the future of American democracy, and we must put forth the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by Trump’s MAGA authoritarianism,” Himes said.
“I no longer believe that is Joe Biden, and I hope that, as he has throughout a lifetime of public service, he will continue to put our nation first, and, as he promised, make way for a new generation of leaders,” he said.
The Washington congresswoman, who flipped her district in 2022, not only called for the president to end his re-election bid but vocally questioned his fitness for the rest of the term in a statement released on July 11.
“Like most people, I represent in Southwest Washington, I doubt the President’s judgment about his health, his fitness to do the job, and whether he is the one making important decisions about our country, rather than unelected advisors,” she said. “Americans deserve to feel their president is fit enough to do the job.”
The Arizona congressman touted Biden’s accomplishments in a statement on July 11, but said the president’s “most defining legacy, though, is as a fierce defender of American democracy.”
“The Democratic Party must have a nominee who can effectively make the case against Trump, and have the confidence of the American people to handle the rigors of the hardest job on the planet for the next four years,” Stanton said.
The Hawaii House member issued a statement on July 11 asking Biden to step aside, claiming, “Difficult times and realities require difficult decisions.”
“This has nothing to do with his character and record. If it did, there would be no decision to make,” Case said. “This is solely about the future, about the President’s ability to continue in the most difficult job in the world for another four-year term.”
The Illinois congressman released a statement on July 11 calling on Biden to “heroically pass the torch to a new generation of leadership.”
“We are faced with a stark choice: be resigned to slog through this election praying we can successfully defend our democracy, or enthusiastically embrace a vibrant vision for our future, building on the extraordinary foundation President Biden has created for our nation over the past four years,” Schneider, the vice chair of the New Democrat Coalition said. “I choose the latter.”
The Grand Rapids, Michigan, House member said in a July 11 statement on X that Biden needed to end his presidential run, contending that it “is essential that we have the strongest possible candidate leading the top of the ticket — not just to win, but to govern.”
“The people of Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District elected me to represent them with integrity. They elected a Congresswoman they trust to speak the truth, even when it’s hard. They voted for someone who would put America’s future first and stand up for what is right. That’s what I am doing now,” she said.
Welch, who represents Vermont, became the first Democratic senator to officially call on Biden to step aside in a Washington Post op-ed published July 10.
Welch wrote that “regular Vermonters are worried that he can’t win this time, and they’re terrified of another Trump presidency.”
The Oregon representative, who is a senior member of the House Ways and Means and Budget committees, said in a statement on July 10 that “we will all be better served if the president steps aside as the Democratic nominee and manages a transition under his terms.”
“He should devote his energy and undivided attention to issues of war and peace, the climate crisis, and rebuilding and renewing America. I stand willing to assist in any way possible on these critical efforts,” Blumenauer added.
Ryan, a moderate Democrat who is up for reelection in a crucial district in upstate New York, said in an op-ed published in the Poughkeepsie Journal on July 10 that Biden needed to step aside due to what he said was the threat posed by a second Trump term.
“If the two of them are on the ballot this fall, I’ll be voting for Biden,” he wrote. “But I’d be doing a grave disservice to the hundreds of thousands of people I have the honor to represent if I said Biden was the best candidate to face Trump this fall.”
The New Jersey congresswoman, who flipped her seat in the 2020 election, released a statement on July 9 calling for Biden to drop out of the presidential race and to “help lead us through a process toward a new nominee.”
Sherrill told ABC News her decision to call on Biden to step aside came after speaking and listening to her constituents, colleagues and family.
The congresswoman said she felt she needed to “advocate as strongly as possible for new leadership so we could really prosecute the case against Donald Trump.
The Washington state House member released a statement on July 8 calling on Biden to bow out of the race and release his delegates before the Democratic National Convention in August.
“He is not yet the nominee. So I think we have a chance to pick a better candidate who can effectively deliver the message, get off of all of these distractions, focus on the Democratic message and on the dangers of Donald Trump,” Smith told ABC News. “And I think we need to take that opportunity.”
The Minnesota congresswoman said in a statement on July 6 that Biden needed to step down from the race, citing his poor debate performance and “the lack of a forceful response from the president himself following that debate.”
“This is not a decision I’ve come to lightly, but there is simply too much at stake to risk a second Donald Trump presidency,” she said.
The Illinois congressman was vocal about his disapproval of Biden following the debate and called on him to step aside during an MSNBC interview on July 5, shortly after the president spoke with ABC News.
“Mr. President, your legacy is set,” he said. “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.”
The Massachusetts House member told Boston public radio station WBUR on July 4 that he believes Biden should withdraw from the race.
“President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding fathers, George Washington’s footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump,” he said.
The Arizona congressman told The New York Times on July 3 that Biden needed to reconsider his candidacy.
“If he’s the candidate, I’m going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere,” he told the newspaper.
On July 2, five days after the debate, the Austin, Texas, congressman became the first House member to call on the president to step aside.
Doggett cited Biden’s dwindling poll numbers in key districts and his debate performance as the factors behind his decision.
“I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same,” Doggett said in a statement.
