Four more senior House Democrats are calling for President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid following a private call with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday, according to multiple reports.
Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), and Mark Takano (D-Calif.) have all called on the incumbent to step aside for the 2024 Presidential race during the two-hour call with Jeffries, sources told Politico, the New York Times and other outlets.
The four Democrats made their claims during a meeting of House Democrats on Sunday that meant to address the party’s anxieties and concerns over Biden’s ability to win in November.
Nadler, Morelle, Smith and Takano join five other House Democrats who have issued statements questioning Biden’s reelection prospects following a poor performance during the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump.
The lack of endorsement from the top Democrats could serve as a major blow to Biden given the representatives’ positions and standing in the party.
Nadler is the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee and Morelle serves as the top Democrat on the Administration Committee.
Smith is a ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, and Takano is a ranking member on the Veteran Affairs panel.
Along with the four Democrats on the private call, Reps. Jim Himes (Conn.), Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Don Beyer (Va.) and Rick Larsen (Wash.) have all voiced their fears of a potential Biden failure in the looming election.
While no Democratic congressional leader has publicly called on Biden to step down yet, the mounting concerns from inside the House illustrate the party’s wavering confidence in the president.
Biden, 81, continues to face pressure over his age and poor debate performance — sending his team into damage control as they attempt to unite Democrats behind his campaign.
While Jeffries hosted Sunday’s caucus to ease fears in the House, Biden was busy campaigning in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania to make up for the poor debate showing.
He also did an interview with ABC on Friday to try and unite his party, but it appears as though the efforts came up short.
Still, despite the calls from the House Democrats, Biden has repeatedly said that he has no plans to step aside for another candidate.
While nine House Democrats have voiced their concerns over the incumbent, others have tried to rally behind him and give the president some much-needed endorsements.
California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, who is 85, drew a standing ovation by declaring, “People say Joe Biden’s too old. Hell, I’m older than Biden!”
