US President Joe Biden is struggling to salvage his re-election campaign as concerns about his age and fitness fuel doubts about his ability to beat Republican rival Donald Trump.
During a high-stakes news conference on Thursday, Biden, 81, struck a defiant tone, insisting he is the most qualified person to beat Trump and that he will not drop out of the race.
“I have to finish this job because the stakes are too high,” Biden said.
While Biden mounted a consistent defense of his administration's record at home and abroad, the president also made a number of gaffes, including mistakenly referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.”
Following Biden’s latest appearance, three more elected Democrats joined the growing list of allies calling on the president to step aside, even though most of his party has — at least publicly — backed his candidacy.
Below is a list of Biden allies who have called on the president to resign:
House Democrats
So far, 17 House Democrats have called on Biden to withdraw.
On Thursday night, Eric Sorensen of Illinois became the third House Democrat to call on Biden to leave after concluding his news conference, following Jim Himes of Connecticut and Scott Peters of California.
“In 2020, Joe Biden ran for president with the purpose of putting country over party. Today, I am calling on him to do it again. It is more important than ever that our neighbors have a presidential candidate who conveys a positive vision for every person in this country,” Sorensen said in a statement.
Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett was the first House Democrat to publicly call for a new nominee on July 2, saying, “There is too much at stake to risk a Trump victory.”
The other House Democrats who have publicly called on Biden to withdraw are: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington); Greg Stanton (Arizona); Raul Grijalva (Texas); Mike Quigley (Illinois); Angie Craig (Minnesota); Adam Smith (Washington); Mikie Sherrill (New Jersey); Seth Moulton (Massachusetts); Pat Ryan (New York); Earl Blumenauer (Oregon); Hillary Scholten (Michigan); Brad Schneider (Illinois); and Ed Case (Hawaii).
Senate Democrats
Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont on Wednesday became the first — and so far only — U.S. senator to publicly call for Biden to step aside, saying doing so would be for the “good of the country.”
However, many other Democratic senators have expressed concern about the likelihood of a Trump victory, including Michael Bennet of Colorado, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Patty Murray of Washington, Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Tim Kaine of Virginia.
Congressional Leadership
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has publicly backed Biden, but some US media outlets have reported that his support may be wavering.
Schumer's colleague Nancy Pelosi, a former House speaker, declined this week to definitively endorse Biden's candidacy in a television interview, saying she would have to make a decision about continuing in the race soon, even though the president has repeatedly insisted he would not drop out.
Democratic Governors
So far, no Democratic governor has asked Biden to step aside.
But several of them, including Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Maura Healey of Massachusetts, have expressed concerns about Biden's health and competitiveness.
New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado on Wednesday became the first statewide deputy leader to call on Biden to resign.
Democratic donors
Biden has lost the support of several major party donors, including Disney heiress Abigail Disney, Hollywood producer Damon Lindelof and philanthropist Gideon Stein, who have said they will withhold funding until he steps aside.
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and Los Angeles real estate mogul Rick Caruso, both known as major contributors to Democrats, have also called on the president to step down.
Famous
In a guest essay published Wednesday in The New York Times, George Clooney, a longtime Democratic donor, called on Biden to step down, saying he had witnessed the president’s decline firsthand at a major fundraising event he co-hosted last month.
Other celebrities who have called for Biden to resign include acclaimed horror author Stephen King, director Michael Moore, actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner, actor John Cusack and television host Sara Haines.
While stopping short of saying Biden should resign, late-night television host Jon Stewart said it was important to “open up the conversation.”
