A moderate House Democrat said President Biden’s tenure in the White House should “end” Thursday, marking the largest show of opposition to his leadership yet from a member of his own party.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Washington Democrat, had previously said she thought Biden would lose to Trump, but she is now the 15th Democrat in Congress to call on the president to end his reelection bid.
“I have spent the last two weeks listening to my constituents express their concerns about the president’s age and health,” she said in a statement. KGW local sales pointan NBC subsidiary.
“Americans deserve to feel that their president is fit and proper to do the job. The crisis of confidence in the president’s leadership must end. The president must do what he knows is right for the country and put the national interest first.”
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President Biden faces increasing pressure to drop out of 2024 primary race (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Gluesenkamp Perez is one of the most vulnerable Democrats this election cycle and has often pulled away from her own party in terms of votes.
Biden, meanwhile, is fighting for his political life following his disastrous debate performance against former President Trump late last month.
Biden spoke with a raspy voice, which he attributed to a cold, and stumbled over his answers several times during the primetime event. Viewers also saw him looking tired and noticeably less sharp than the last time he faced Trump in 2020.
That raised concerns among members of his party that he would lose to Trump in November and not be able to serve another four years.
Gluesenkamp Perez told KATU after the debate“About 50 million Americans watched that debate. I was one of them for about five very painful minutes. We all saw what we saw, you can’t go back, and the truth, I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump.”
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Washington Democrat, is the latest Biden critic to speak out publicly. (Bill Clark)
Biden, for his part, has repeatedly said he will not budge.
Gluesenkamp Perez’s statement comes just hours before Biden’s speech at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. press conferenceIt is a pivotal event for the president as he seeks to dispel doubts that he is not physically or mentally fit to occupy the White House.
House Democrats left Capitol Hill around noon Thursday to return to their districts for a weeklong recess.
Before that, left-wing lawmakers spent the week meeting in caucuses and small groups to discuss Biden’s path forward.
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President Joe Biden (R) and Republican presidential candidate former U.S. President Donald Trump participate in the CNN presidential debate at CNN Studios on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who has said he supports the presidential ticket, told reporters earlier Thursday that he didn’t think Biden was a drag on vulnerable Democrats.
“House Democrats are engaged in conversations with House Democrats right now. Those conversations have been candid, clear-eyed, and comprehensive, and that’s important for us to do as a House Democratic caucus family. And as long as those conversations continue, I will respect the sanctity of those conversations until we conclude this process,” he said.
