Category Archives: Democrat

Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas is the first congressional Democrat to publicly call for President Biden to withdraw from his reelection bid after last week's poor debate performance. Sergio Flores/Getty Images hide caption

Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett is the first congressional Democrat to call for President Biden to withdraw from the presidential election. Earlier on Wednesday, Doggett told NPRs Leila Fadel that Biden has not convinced the American people that hes fit for reelection.

Doggett fears that with Biden as the candidate, Democrats will not be able to stop Donald Trump from becoming the new authoritarian strongman in our country.

Despite Bidens transformational accomplishments, Doggett sees a lack of enthusiasm and excitement that could cause Democrats to lose not only the presidency, but also the House and Senate in the upcoming elections.

While party leadership so far has voiced continued support for Biden, he says his dissent represents widespread concern.

The following is an edited and condensed version of the conversation with Rep. Lloyd Doggett.

Leila Fadel: So why do you want Biden to withdraw?

Rep. Lloyd Doggett: You have a criminal and his gang who are about to take over our government. We've got to do everything we possibly can to prevent Donald Trump from becoming the new authoritarian strongman in our country. [...] President Biden has some significant accomplishments. I've supported him throughout, but he has not convinced the American people.

Fadel: Are you saying that you don't think he can beat Donald Trump?

Doggett: I think that he is far behind and that we have to put our best possibility forward instead of putting forward the same person that so many people, some called the double haters, have rejected. We need to add some enthusiasm and excitement in our campaign. Yesterday, while I was the only person to call for him to step aside, in Washington state, in Maine, I had colleagues who said Donald Trump will win. There's much of that thinking out there that's difficult to overcome. And there is great consternation across the country, I believe, from the people I've heard from, that we could lose not only the presidency, but the House and the Senate.

Fadel: I want to get a sense of how representative your opinion is. I mean, the party leadership is rallying around the President right now? Are you in the minority here?

Doggett: I think there are people that don't agree with me. From the conversations that I had on the floor of Congress the morning after the election and some of the conversations that I've had since then, I think the concerns I'm voicing are widespread.

I'm a member who's been in Congress for a while, as you noted, not starting my career. I'm not a vulnerable member in this election, so I'm able to step forward and speak out about what I think is so critical for our country in ways that perhaps some other people have not, but I certainly have not gotten any discouragement from within the leadership of the party.

Fadel: What do you say to Democrats who might say, now isn't the time to withdraw support from Biden because it could help Donald Trump, his opponent, contrary to what you're saying?

Doggett: You know, that's the very concern that caused me to not speak out about this earlier. I wish this had been resolved earlier. President Biden said he would be a transitional figure. He's had some transformational accomplishments, but he's worked now for a year, and he's not been able to close the gap, and he made that gap wider after this debate, raising real questions in the minds of so many Americans as to his capability to govern the country now and over the next four years. I just say don't take that chance.

I don't want to do anything to diminish his chances of success. If he is our nominee, he certainly will have my backing. It just will be a heavy lift for me and for many candidates who I believe across the country will begin to distance themselves from the president because they fear being dragged down by the problems that he's having.

The audio version of this interview was edited by Ally Schweitzer. The digital version was edited by Dana Farrington. Destinee Adams contributed.

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Democratic congressman says Biden needs to exit the race - NPR

One benefit of the public angst and media frenzy surrounding President Bidens debate performance has been a growing consensus among elected Democrats and activist groups that Vice President Harris is the only plausible replacement.

That is what a vice president does: step in when the president needs to be replaced, temporarily or permanently. A party that has long depended on the votes of Black Americans, especially Black women, could not without unleashing a furious backlash and triggering massive defections kick her to the curb in favor of a random, unvetted White politician.

As of this writing, Biden has given no public indication that he is ready to drop out. If that changes, however, many media voices, Democratic operatives and elected Democrats may have to eat crow. Should Harris ascend to the top of the ticket, the critics who denigrated her value, dismissed her expertise and denied her political skills will immediately shout her praises. (Recall that many Republicans who once denounced felon and former president Donald Trumps insurrection broke the hypocrisy meter in eventually falling in line behind him.)

Assuming the choice is essentially Biden or Harris, it behooves voters, Democratic officials and progressive groups to assess the upsides and downsides of making a switch. I have interviewed Harris as a candidate and vice president, watched her appearances up close, and witnessed her participation in the administration, especially her role in attacking the Supreme Courts reckless decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. The person I have seen bears little resemblance to the image critics have created. (Since her first year as vice president, many journalists frankly have stopped covering her, and simply recite that she has gotten bad press.)

Harriss positive attributes fall into roughly three buckets. First, if Biden does not jazz young voters and risks defections among non-White voters, Harris could provide the spark to excite the base. A recent CNN-SSRS poll found that she would swing Bidens three-point deficit among women voters to a seven-point lead, while also making gains among independents. (Caveat: Noncandidates often poll better before the media begins tearing them down in earnest.)

She has also had sellout crowds at college campuses, offering the prospect of a big turnout among younger voters. She is an electric speaker who can light up audiences of pro-choice women, HBCU students and Hispanic union members. The prospect of the first female Black president could inject the sort of energy needed to turn out the vote in what is likely to be a mobilization rather than a persuasion election (i.e., most everyone has already made up their mind).

Second, the issues that should be at the center of the Democrats campaign abortion, a tyrannical Supreme Court, and the manifest unfitness of felon and former president Donald Trump are right in her wheelhouse. She has been the administrations leading voice in attacking Dobbs as an assault on freedom and privacy. Her legal background provides authority and skill to explain the excesses of an unhinged Supreme Court. And as I have argued, she is as effective on the attack against Trump as any Democrat. (And yes, running against a Black woman would infuriate him.)

Democrats might relish a campaign in which Harris is the principal voice denouncing Trumps racist comments, such as his use of Black jobs in his debate with Biden or his mutterings about nonexistent electric planes. Imagine her dissecting Project 2025 or zeroing in on his 34 felony convictions and civil adjudication for rape. And given her frequent overseas trips, Harris can adeptly describe allies horror over Trumps invitation to Vladimir Putin to attack NATO countries and ridicule Trumps delusion that dictators love him.

Third, Harris would deprive Republicans of their most potent issue. Virtually the entire GOP campaign has been about Bidens age. Sure, MAGA cultists lie about Bidens economic record, legislative successes, diplomatic achievements and more but the only place where they have had real traction, especially after the debate, is on the age issue. If Harris were at the top of the ticket, perhaps the media would finally focus on Trumps deteriorating mental acuity and personality defects (as I have pointed out) with proper urgency.

Still, a Harris presidential nomination would come with real risks. Gender and racial bigotry might deter some swing-state voters. Previous criticism of Harris by Democrats would be thrown in her face. And the party would be forfeiting the incumbency advantage, as presidential historian and prediction wizard Allan Lichtman argues, as well as Bidens unique connection with union workers. Harris would also face questions over her forthrightness about Bidens physical limitations. (She has been among the most credible eyewitnesses to his job performance.)

Some of these risks might be offset by the low expectations critics set for her, but no one can guarantee she will gain more votes than she will lose. Post-debate polls show Bidens numbers have dropped, but not so badly as to unleash a tsunami of public calls for him to exit the race (at least not yet).

That brings us to the only factor that matters: Will Biden conclude that he cannot vigorously wage a winning campaign to protect our democracy from the greatest threat in our lifetimes? A single interview will not be sufficient. He must appear day after day in free-flowing settings. If he cannot, he will have shown he lacks the capacity to run.

The good news for Democrats: If Biden does decide to step away, the party has a solid chance to win and make history with Harris. Alternatively, if he remains and wins reelection, voters can be confident there is an able vice president ready to take over if needed.

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Opinion | Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket has risks and rewards - The Washington Post

President Biden has told key allies that he knows the coming days are crucial and understands that he may not be able to salvage his candidacy if he cannot convince voters that he is up to the job after a disastrous debate performance last week.

According to two allies who have spoken with him, Mr. Biden has emphasized that he is still deeply committed to the fight for re-election but understands that his viability as a candidate is on the line.

The president sought to project confidence on Wednesday in a call with his campaign staff, even as White House officials were trying to calm nerves among the ranks inside the Biden administration.

No ones pushing me out, Mr. Biden said in the call. Im not leaving.

Vice President Kamala Harris was also on the line.

We will not back down. We will follow our presidents lead, she said. We will fight, and we will win.

Still, Mr. Bidens allies said that the president had privately acknowledged that his next few appearances heading into the July 4 holiday weekend must go well, particularly an interview with George Stephanopoulos scheduled to air Friday on ABC and campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

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Biden Tells Allies He Knows He Has Only Days to Salvage Candidacy - The New York Times

I watched the debate from a pub in Ireland. A man sitting next to me pegged me for a Yank. Sorry about all that screwed no matter what you do, he said before the final minutes of the debate ended. I nodded, accepting his sympathies for my condition as an American during a week when it has been hard to be an American.

It is only when I am not in America that I feel my American-ness. From the moment that blue passport cover places me in a different line at customs, my citizenship speaks louder than my race, gender or religion. Maybe I had to watch that debate from outside of the U.S. to fully appreciate what was happening to us, Americans.

A survey of the political commentariat shows a consensus forming: Joe Biden is fighting the final rounds of a match that the refs wont call but probably should. Usually, after reading all of the news and polls, I turn to the everyday political discourse, which often diverges from that of the professional political watchers. What should scare Biden loyalists is that this time, the two agree. Even the most die-hard Democratic voters can see Bidens decline for what it is an opening for Donald Trump to win his second presidential term.

A few days after that disastrous debate, the Supreme Court finally weighed in on presidential immunity. There is no other way to read its decision than as a signal that whoever owns the Republican Party also owns the power to break the law. Whether he wins or loses, Trump owns the G.O.P., lock, stock and barrel. Im not sure the country has fully accepted what that means.

When the Supreme Court decision was announced I had moved on to Greece. Again, it felt like a portentous place to be as the United States moved closer to an autocracy than it has been since perhaps Reconstruction. Greece prides itself as the birthplace of deliberative democracy. As you walk through the ancient ruins, the biggest ideas to transform human society dont look very big. The buildings where they were debated are crumbling. Modern development dwarfs what were once massive structures to Western ideology. Despite standing for more than 2,000 years, these relics of early democracy feel fragile.

Americans dont build monuments as well made as the ancient Greeks built. The idea has always been that our democratic ideas are the real monuments. The statues and artifice of political memory should never be stronger than those ideas. Sometimes we have made our monuments cheaply, as if to say that having perfected the means of democracy if not its platonic ideal we dont need to bother with strong foundations and materials.

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Opinion | Whoever the Democratic Candidate Is, Americans Have Already Lost - The New York Times

With President Bidens candidacy in question, we asked six New York Times Opinion columnists: Who would you like to see as the Democratic nominee? Read their answers below. Or listen here:

00:35: Lydia Polgreen on Vice President Kamala Harris

06:33: Nicholas Kristof on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan

09:42: Ross Douthat on Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia

13:55: Pamela Paul on Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland

18:10: David French on Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania

23:57: Charles M. Blow on President Biden

Im Lydia Polgreen, Opinion columnist for The New York Times. Like many of my colleagues, I think its time for Joe Biden to bow out. And I believe that the best person to replace him is Kamala Harris.

She didnt make it that far in the primaries, and that might make you think: This is someone who has tried and failed to become president why would she be good on the national stage? But I think its important to remember that running in the primaries and running for the general election are actually two very different things.

In the primaries, youre essentially running against your peers in many cases, your fellow politicians from your party and youre arguing with them over smaller differences than the big differences that separate our politics in this very polarized time. And where gender and race actually play a huge role in terms of how people are perceived and where the showing of emotion or anger or other feelings play very differently, depending on whether youre a woman, depending on whether youre a person of color that primary environment, I think, is actually quite complicated.

Those same dynamics can be at play in a general election, as well, but theyre actually much different in this particular general election, because Donald Trump is a very particular kind of politician.

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Opinion | Who Should Lead the Democratic Ticket? Six Columnists Weigh In. - The New York Times

PHILADELPHIA President Biden on Sunday basked in warm applause of a Black congregation in Philadelphia, drawing support from a sanctuary of Black worshipers at a time of tumult and peril for his reelection efforts.

Biden attended a service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ in Philadelphia, in a swing state that will serve as a critical proving ground for his campaign reboot. Biden and his aides have insisted that he will not step aside as the Democratic nominee, ignoring a growing number of calls from Democrats for him to bow out after his halting debate performance.

Black voters have been a bedrock of political support for Biden throughout his presidential campaigns. He greeted the congregation by stating: Its good to be home.

Were all imperfect beings, Biden said in brief remarks. We dont know where or what fate will deliver us to or when. But we do know is that we can seek a life of light, hope, love and truth no matter what. We can seek that life.

We have to work together, the president added. Because when we do, you cant stop us.

As he finished his remarks, the crowd chanted: Four more years! Four more years!

In recent days, even as party leaders express private concerns and a growing number of elected officials publicly call on him to drop out, it has been the Black community that has backed Biden most strenuously. From the start of the service, Pastor Louis Felton was emphatic in his support for Biden, urging worshipers to stand and shout, We love you, President Biden!

Biden stood and raised his hands during songs, and linked arms with the pastor next to him during prayer. Felton made a point of noting that the president was sitting next to a 91-year-old bishop, the founder of the church, Ernest C. Morris Sr.

Dont let anyone talk about your age. Youre a young whippersnapper, Felton proclaimed.

The pastor also drew a clear contrast between Bidens actions and a religious tie-in Donald Trump started in March, when he began selling a $60 Bible. This president doesnt sell the Bible. He actually reads the Bible.

Amid rising unease among Democratic members of Congress and governors who have largely remained publicly loyal to Biden the presidents campaign aides scrambled to schedule Sundays events to show Bidens vigor and his intention to forcefully confront Trump.

Earlier Sunday, Biden greeted Democratic Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman when he arrived in Pennsylvania. He spoke with each briefly, tapping Fettermans chest with his fist.

Later Sunday, Biden will travel to Harrisburg for a community organizing event with union members and local Democrats. Throughout the day, the president is expected to be joined by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis.

The appearances with the states two senators and a later one with Shapiro, a rising Democratic star are part of the campaigns carefully orchestrated tableau to show that key figures in the party are standing behind the president. Bidens 22-minute interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, which aired Friday night, did little to change the restive mood of members of his party at a moment when he is sliding further behind in the polls and a majority of Americans say he is no longer fit to hold office.

Five congressional Democrats have called on Biden to drop out of the race, and at least 17 current and former top Democrats as of Saturday have publicly raised concerns about his fitness for office and his ability to defeat Trump. The latest to urge Biden to seek advice beyond his inner circle was Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who is running for the Senate seat of the late Dianne Feinstein.

In a Sunday interview with NBCs Meet the Press, Schiff said Bidens debate performance rightfully raised questions among the American people about whether the president has the vigor to defeat Trump, adding his view that Biden should be mopping the floor with Trump.

Joe Biden is running against a criminal. It should not be even close, and theres only one reason it is close, and thats the presidents age, Schiff said. Hes obviously talked to his family about this, and thats important. But he should seek out people with some distance and objectivity.

Schiff said Biden should be contemplating whether he made the right decision to run or to pass the torch. That is the most important decision for him to make right now, he said.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a close ally of Biden, said on CNNs State of the Union that the president would have to assuage voters concerns by showing them whether this is still the old Joe Biden. He did not directly answer a question about whether Biden should be his partys nominee.

I support Joe Biden. Period, stop, Murphy said. But I know that there are a lot of voters out there that need to be convinced that Thursday nights debate performance was a bad night. Ultimately, Im supporting Joe Biden. Im going to vote for Joe Biden. But the president needs millions of votes.

On Friday, Biden repeatedly rebuffed questions from Stephanopoulos about whether he would undergo an independent medical evaluation that included neurological and cognitive tests, insisting that he gets a full neurological test every day simply by carrying out his presidential duties. Schiff said both Trump and Biden should undergo cognitive tests.

The next few days will be pivotal in determining whether Biden can maintain the confidence of his party as he and his campaign aides insist that his debate performance was an aberration rather than evidence of cognitive decline.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has scheduled a call Sunday afternoon with top House Democrats, in part to field concerns from members who are worried about the drag that Bidens candidacy could have on down-ballot races.

Lawmakers are returning to Washington on Monday, gathering for the first time after the Fourth of July holiday as they weigh whether the party can prevail in the critical battle for control of the House and Senate in November with Biden as the Democratic Partys nominee. Biden plans to return to the White House on Sunday night, ahead of this weeks NATO summit in Washington. On Thursday, he is planning to hold a rare solo news conference.

Bidens campaign has also added a trip Friday to Michigan, according to a person familiar with the schedule, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss events that had not yet been made public. It will be the third battleground state he has visited in a week.

First lady Jill Biden, who has been a constant presence on the campaign trail since the debate, is planning a three-city campaign swing Monday to Tampa; Wilmington, N.C.; and Columbus, Ga.

Reston reported from Washington. Azi Paybarah and Joby Warrick in Washington contributed to this report.

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Joe Biden seeks to reenergize reelection bid as Democrats are skittish - The Washington Post

Said Biden should step aside

Angie Craig

Representative, Minnesota

I do not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump. July 6

Lloyd Doggett

Representative, Texas

The need for him to step aside is more urgent tonight than when I first called for it on Tuesday. July 5

Mike Quigley

Representative, Illinois

I would say: 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. July 5

Previous statement

It has to be his decision. We have to be honest with ourselves. It wasnt just a horrible night. July 2

Seth Moulton

Representative, Massachusetts

President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding father, George Washingtons footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump. July 4

Previous statement

I deeply respect President Biden and all the great things he has done for America, but I have grave concerns about his ability to defeat Donald Trump. July 3

Ral M. Grijalva

Representative, Arizona

What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race. July 3

Marianne Williamson

2024 Democratic presidential candidate

The time is now for another Democratic candidate to take his place on the November ballot. July 2

Julin Castro

Former Housing and Urban Development secretary

Another Democrat would have a better shot at beating Trump. July 2

Tim Ryan

Former Representative, Ohio

After deep reflection over these past few days, I strongly believe that our best path forward is Kamala Harris. July 1

Tom Harkin

Former Senator, Iowa

I think the president should step aside and let the convention pick a new candidate. June 30*

R.T. Rybak

Former D.N.C. vice chair

It is absolutely not too late to pick a new candidate. June 30

Expressed concern

Maura Healey

Governor, Massachusetts

Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump. July 5

Ro Khanna

Representative, California

I expect complete transparency from the White House about this issue and a willingness to answer many legitimate questions from the media and voters about his capabilities. July 5

Gerald E. Connolly

Representative, Virginia

I dont think we know that yet. July 5,answering the question of whether Biden still gives his party the best chance to win in November.

Chris Pappas

Representative, New Hampshire

People are disappointed with what they saw last week. And I think its up to President Biden to answer what kind of path he can be on for the future to restore confidence, or to pass the torch. July 4

Jared Huffman

Representative, California

We need a course correction. Weve got to acknowledge that this was not just one bad night. July 4

David Walters

Former governor of Oklahoma

He may be operating at 100 percent capacity. But 14 months into this 18-month campaign, the campaign is losing this argument. July 4

Katie Porter

Representative, California

This White House is going to have to be way less insular than they have been. July 3

Scott Peters

Representative, California

The question just now is, is this a candidate who can win the election? Because as much as I love Joe Biden, in those swing states, hes having a hard time. July 3

Debbie Dingell

Representative, Michigan

President Biden has got to go out there, and in a sustained basis, show he has the stamina and can do the job. July 3

Summer Lee

Representative, Pennsylvania

People are worried. And we need our strongest, our brightest, our bravest to step up and start to take the reins right now. July 3

Jake Auchincloss

Representative, Massachusetts

We have strong people, not just the top of the ticket, but around the ticket, who can be strong surrogates. July 3

Ann McLane Kuster

Representative, New Hampshire

In order to respond to our constituents concerns, we need to demonstrate that the president is fit not just for the job, but for the campaign. July 3*

Nancy Pelosi

Representative, California

I think it is a legitimate question to say is this an episode or is this a condition? July 2

Greg Landsman

Representative, Ohio

The question is can he effectively prosecute the case against Trump. July 2*

Don Davis

Representative, North Carolina

If he is going to stay in, he needs to step up. July 2

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez

Representative, Washington

We all saw what we saw. You cant undo that. July 2*

Jared Golden

Representative, Maine

In 2025, I believe Trump is going to be in the White House. July 2

Sheldon Whitehouse

Senator, Rhode Island

Like a lot of people, I was pretty horrified. July 1*

Peter Welch

Senator, Vermont

I really do criticize the campaign for a dismissive attitude towards people who are raising questions for discussion. July 1

Hillary Scholten

Representative, Michigan

We have heard concerns from people who saw the president on Thursday night. I felt concerned and raised those concerns. July 1

Jamie Raskin

Representative, Maryland

Were having a serious conversation about what to do. June 30*

Expressed support

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Should Biden End His 2024 Campaign? What Prominent Democrats Are Saying - The New York Times

All sounds fine in President Bidens world. That devastating debate? Just a bad night. Those dismal poll numbers? Simply inaccurate. The gloomy election predictions? The same old doomsayers, wrong again. The Democrats who want him to drop out? No one has told him that.

For Mr. Biden, the crisis seen by so many Democrats who are not on his payroll and by some who are is nothing more than another bump in the road, another obstacle to overcome as he always has. He does not agree that he is slipping as he ages. He does not accept that he is losing to former President Donald J. Trump. He does not believe much of his own party wants him to step aside.

His prime-time interview that aired on ABC News on Friday night was an exercise not just in damage control but in reality control. For much of his long and storied political career, Mr. Biden has succeeded through sheer force of will, defying the doubters and the skeptics and the scorners to prove that he could do what no one expected. Yet now, in what may be the most threatened moment of his presidency, that self-confidence leaves him increasingly isolated in his own party.

You really see a president in denial and in a bubble, Julin Castro, a former housing secretary who ran against Mr. Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2020, said in an interview. You want a president who can honestly and accurately assess his viability in this race, and that interview did not give confidence at all that hes got a good handle on that.

David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama who has long expressed worry about Mr. Bidens decision to run again, said the president was rightfully proud of his record. But he is dangerously out-of-touch with the concerns people have about his capacities moving forward and his standing in this race, he wrote on social media.

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Crisis? What Crisis? Biden Rejects Democratic Pessimism. - The New York Times

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, as seen at the Capitol on June 5, 2024. Doggett is the first congressional Democrat to publicly call for President Biden to quit his reelection bid. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas,, became the first congressional Democrat to call for President Biden to withdraw from his reelection bid, issuing a statement saying that Biden had failed to reassure voters in last week's presidential debate and was trailing his Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump.

Biden, 81, badly stumbled in the debate, seeming at times to lose his train of thought, and struggled to defend his record. He and his campaign have insisted that he would stay in the race and make a comeback despite calls from some Democrats and donors to step back and let another party leader run instead.

In remarks at a fundraising event in McLean, Va., on Tuesday, Biden blamed his debate performance on a punishing travel schedule through many time zones. He had gone to Europe twice in two weeks in June, and also spent time at a Los Angeles fundraiser.

"The fact is that you know, I wasnt very smart," Biden told donors, quipping that he "nearly fell asleep on stage."

Biden and his campaign have been in damage control mode since the debate. This week, that continues. Biden will meet on Wednesday with Democratic governors some attending in person, and some by Zoom. He is separately making calls to congressional leaders.

On Friday, he plans to campaign in Wisconsin, with ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos in tow. And next week, at the NATO leaders' summit in Washington, D.C., Biden will give a full-fledged news conference, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Jean-Pierre said Biden "had a cold and a bad night" at the debate. She said that the White House had been transparent about his medical records. Asked directly if he has Alzheimer's disease, dementia or another degenerative illness, Jean-Pierre curtly said, "no."

"I hope you're asking the other guy the same exact question," she said, referring to former President Donald Trump, 78.

Asked about Rep. Doggett's call, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the congressman was entitled to his opinion. It is a big-tent party," she said. The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Immediately following the debate, most House Democrats struggled with how to respond, with many acknowledging the presidents poor performance, but none publicly saying he needed to step aside. But five days later, a new CNN poll showed most voters think Democrats have a better chance with another nominee, and there are signs some Democrats are more willing to break with the White House.

President Biden speaks about extreme weather at the DC Emergency Operations Center in Washington, DC, on July 2. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images/AFP hide caption

Doggett, who represents a safe Democratic district, said that Biden was trailing Trump in most polls. I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum to change that. It did not, he said in a statement.

"Instead of reassuring voters, the president failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trumps many lies," Doggett said.

Top congressional Democrats like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, who helped Biden get the 2020 nomination, took to the airwaves over the weekend to defend Biden and pledge support.

But on Tuesday, Pelosis tone appeared to shift, and she opened the door to other Democrats to raise concerns about the presidents ability to continue.

"I think it's a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition?" Pelosi said in an interview on MSNBC. "When people ask that question, it's completely legitimate of both candidates."

Ian Krager, a spokesperson for Pelosi, in a written statement to NPR, said, Speaker Pelosi has full confidence in President Biden and looks forward to attending his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

Earlier on Tuesday, Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., expressed public reservations about the impact on downballot Democrats.

I think his four years are, you know, one of the great presidencies of our lifetime. But I think he has to be honest with himself. This is a decision hes going to have to make, Quigley said on CNN.

He clearly has to understand that his decision not only impacts whos going to serve in the White House the next four years, but whos going to serve in the Senate, whos going to serve in the House, and it will have implications for decades to come, he said.

Two other House Democrats said on Tuesday that they think Trump will win in 2024: Maine Rep. Jared Golden and Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Both represent swing districts.

"We all saw what we saw, you cant undo that, and the truth I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump," Gluesenkamp Perez said on Portland's KATU News.

Golden wrote an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News, and dismissed Biden's argument democracy would be in peril if Trump returns to the Oval Office.

Golden wrote, Democrats post-debate hand-wringing is based on the idea that a Trump victory is not just a political loss, but a unique threat to our democracy. I reject the premise. Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system.

The House GOPs campaign arm was quick to criticize most Democrats for keeping their opinions about Biden mostly to themselves, or in background quotes to journalists.

The cowards in the Democratic caucus have spent every day after the debate in witness protection, too afraid to say what theyre all thinking, said Jack Pandol, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Americans remember House Democrats were complicit in covering up and gaslighting the public about the presidents condition, and voters are primed to punish them in November, Pandol said.

Democratic strategists have pointed out that Democratic incumbents in key Senate contests have been outperforming the president in polls for weeks. House Democrats in many swing districts at least for now appear to be seeing the same dynamic, but more calls could come from lawmakers if dramatic changes in internal and public polls emerge in the next few days.

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Rep. Doggett calls on Biden to withdraw. He's the first Democrat in Congress to do so - NPR

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) said Wednesday that hes unsure what Democratic candidate could prevail over Donald Trump in November.

In his first interview since penning an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News, Golden stopped short of calling on President Biden to exit the presidential contest after his faltering debate performance. But he did predict that Biden would lose to Donald Trump in November. He added that hes unsure whether Vice President Harris could beat Trump, either.

Asked whether he believes there is a Democrat who could prevail over Trump, Golden said, I dont know who can beat Trump in this current moment.

And he panned the Biden campaigns focus on safeguarding democratic principles as a winning message against Trump, calling it a complete, abject failure.

Golden, who sits in a district Trump won by roughly seven points in 2020, predicted that Biden would lose his Republican-leaning House district in November by a margin larger than Hillary Clinton did in 2016. He warned that a major loss in his district could be a warning sign for other vulnerable Democrats who have voted with the Biden agenda more often than he has.

Goldens perspective comes as his fellow House Democratic colleagues continue to grapple with whether Biden should remain atop the Democratic ticket after a debate performance last week that has brought about more questions than reassuring answers from Bidens orbit. Only one has so far publicly called on Biden to step aside: Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Tex.).

Golden and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), who co-chair the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, both publicly said Tuesday that Biden would not fare well in their swing districts.

But they stopped short of calling for Biden to exit.

I recognize that Im in not in a position to make that decision for Joe Biden. He is, Golden said. What I can say is what I think is going to happen if he is the nominee.

Golden offered that perhaps another Democrat could beat Trump. But he didnt say who, and he was bearish on Harriss chances given that he hasnt heard from constituents about her and how she fares in his district.

I would love someone running for president in either party or both candidates to be fresh faces, like young with new ideas, not retreads of the past, Golden said. And thats not what weve been given by either party in Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Goldens decision to speak out was not meant to coincide with Doggetts. Though he did not watch the debate, Golden said he knew he would have to put out a statement about Biden because its what everyone in America is thinking and talking about. He said it was notable to him that former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on MSNBC on Tuesday that its a legitimate question to say, Is this an episode or is this a condition about the president.

Goldens message to his party goes beyond his warning about Biden and directly against a core argument Democrats are making. The Maine Democrat acknowledges the need to run local races but said hes concerned that Democrats may be too keen on attacking Trump as a threat to democracy. He says, rather, that Democrats should be focusing on how their constituents are feeling economically and socially.

The preferred campaign message of not just Joe Biden but a lot of Democrats that this election is about saving democracy happens to be a complete, abject failure. If youre trying to appeal to, lets say, just regular people or to, like, swing voters in swing states, its very clearly going to be about the economy, as it almost always is, he said. When you look at the last Congress, like, theres plenty of good things that we did.

Unlike most of his colleagues, Golden believes Democrats must tout the strength of American democracy even though it was tested on Jan. 6, 2021. But he says the message should be that the system held because of government leaders who were willing to do the right thing and stand up to Trump and uphold the law. He believes Trump would be surrounded by similar people during a second Trump administration.

He echoes what many House Democrats have recognized since the debate: Its imperative for them to win back the majority because they may be the only chamber that could act as a check on another Trump administration.

Golden stated, for instance, that the House could block a Republican majoritys attempts to reimpose Trumps 2017 tax law, which slashed taxes for corporations and rich Americans.

Weve got good new laws that the Congress passed that we can run on. We should be talking about those things and reminding people, Listen, when the Republicans are in control, like, you know what they do? They try and cut taxes for the rich, he said.

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Jared Golden unsure whether any Democrat can beat Trump in November - The Washington Post