President Biden is “absolutely” in the running for a second term, his campaign manager said Friday, just as more Democratic lawmakers called on Biden to drop out of the race.
Rep. Jared Huffman of San Rafael wrote a joint statement with Reps. Marc Veasey of Texas, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia of Illinois and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin urging the president to “face the reality that widespread public concerns about his age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign.” Rep. Zoe Lofgren of San Jose, a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, was one of five additional lawmakers who had issued separate statements by Friday afternoon, part of a new wave of pressure on Biden at a moment many consider crucial.
Later Friday, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown posted a statement on X, the social media platform, saying, “I think the president should end his campaign.” Brown is locked in a tough reelection race.
Lofgren, in her letter sent Thursday and released Friday, highlighted her role on the House committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
“I know, perhaps as well as anyone, how unfit Donald Trump is to be president,” he wrote, calling the former president a “grave threat to the constitutional order and the rule of law.”
“Simply put,” he added, addressing Biden, “his candidacy is on track to lose the White House and potentially affect crucial House and Senate races in later stages of voting.”
In an interview with The Times, he said he went public because “time is running out.”
“Many members are voicing their concerns privately. An increasing number are voicing their concerns publicly, because this is not just about us,” he said. “This is about the future of America.”
Huffman has been urging Biden and other Democrats for weeks to consider the issue and delay the official nomination process, but she had not specifically called on the president to withdraw as of Friday. There has been speculation that Biden could drop out of the race on his own, but many lawmakers who have privately expressed doubts about his prospects are expected to go public if he does not.
The group of lawmakers who released Huffman’s joint statement is significant because they come from factions of the party that have largely stood firm with Biden: Huffman is a leading progressive; Veasey is the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus to urge Biden to drop out of the race; Garcia is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which has also spoken out in favor of keeping Biden in the race.
The statement does not specify a replacement or a process for finding one, but it does nod to Biden’s running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris. Democrats have been divided over whether to hold an open process or anoint Harris should Biden withdraw.
“Democrats have a deep and talented group of young leaders, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, whom you have elevated, empowered, and prepared for this moment,” the statement continued. “Passing the torch would fundamentally change the trajectory of the campaign.”
Lofgren, in an interview, said an expedited process would need to happen before the convention, which begins Aug. 19. “That can't be an automatic thing,” she said, calling Harris “the most likely front-runner.”
Meanwhile, Harris spoke to donors on Friday on a conference call that included Reid Hoffman, one of Silicon Valley’s most influential Democratic funders. The call, first reported by the New York Times, was confirmed by two people familiar with the situation who requested anonymity.
Field organizers and Harris, who spoke on the call, conveyed the message that party infighting must end, according to one of the people familiar with the call.
“We're going to win,” said Harris, who then criticized Trump's speech at the convention Thursday night and praised Biden, according to a person who listened to the call.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a leading progressive voice who has been urging Democrats to stick with Biden, said on social media Thursday night that the process of replacing him could be chaotic.
“If they think there is a consensus among people who want Joe Biden gone, that they will support Kamala, Vice President Harris, they are wrong,” he said. “They are interested in eliminating all the candidates.”
Biden and his team have publicly maintained that he will remain in the race, arguing that he has the best chance of winning.
“We’re looking at the polls. We’re looking at … what a lot of people are looking at, of course,” Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “But we’re also looking at a lot of numbers that matter, which is what’s happening on the ground.”
Dillon said the campaign is designed for a tight race and that views of Trump are “hardened.” He argued that Trump would not win voters worried about Biden; Democrats simply need to win them back by knocking on doors and doing other organizing efforts.
He said Biden, who has not had public events since being diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday night, will return to the campaign trail next week.
Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in a public memo that the president's cough and hoarse voice persist but have “significantly improved,” while he is breathing well and has clear lungs.
“We know we’ve gotten a little bit away from the debate,” Dillon said, referring to Biden’s dismal performance last month that sparked concerns among Democrats. “And we know the president has to prove to the American people exactly what he believes in, that he’s in this to win, that he can do it.”
Biden has been under extreme pressure to drop out of the race, pressure that has intensified this week as party leaders see national polls and those in key states making his path to victory look bleak. Multiple reports have suggested he could drop out of the race as early as this weekend. Polls show a large majority of voters, including Democrats, would also like him to drop out of the race.
“He’s very proud, stubborn and opinionated,” said one person involved in the campaign who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “I think of all the veterans I’ve worked with and how they would react in his place. I’m not sure they would be any different. These guys are usually forced to leave, left in an ambulance or handcuffed.”
