Analysis
After poor performance in the
2024 presidential debate against Trump and after being
called to drop out from a democrat congress member, four more Democrat congress members call for him to drop out.
Short Summary
According to multiple news reports from July 7, 2024, four senior House Democrats—Representatives Jerry Nadler, Adam Smith, Mark Takano, and Joe Morelle—called for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the
2024 presidential race during a private Democratic leadership call. These calls came approximately 10 days after Biden's widely criticized debate performance against former President Donald Trump, which sparked widespread concern among Democrats about his electoral viability. Despite growing opposition within his party, Biden remained determined to continue his campaign, stating in a
July 5 ABC News interview that only "the Lord Almighty" could convince him to exit the race.The Democratic Party showed increasing division over Biden's candidacy, with Rep. Angie Craig becoming the first frontline Democrat from a competitive district to publicly call for his withdrawal on July 6. While several representatives expressed significant concerns without directly requesting Biden's withdrawal, there was reportedly "an overwhelming sense" that Vice President Kamala Harris would be a stronger nominee. The Congressional Black Caucus remained largely supportive of Biden, with Representatives Maxine Waters and Barbara Lee defending him forcefully on the call, though some Democratic donors had begun withholding contributions until Biden would drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
Long Summary
Democratic Party Leadership Division Emerges After Presidential Debate
According to multiple news reports from July 7, 2024, four senior House Democrats called for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race during a private Democratic leadership call. Representatives Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Adam Smith (D-Washington), Mark Takano (D-California), and Joe Morelle (D-New York) - all ranking members on key congressional committees - expressed their belief that Biden should step aside following his widely criticized debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27, 2024.
2024 Presidential Campaign Timeline: Post-Debate Democratic Concerns Intensify
The calls for Biden to exit the 2024 presidential race came approximately 10 days after his debate performance against former President Donald Trump, which sparked widespread concern among Democrats about his ability to defeat Trump in November. According to the provided news articles, this leadership call occurred on Sunday, July 7, 2024, and was convened by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. The call lasted over an hour, with lawmakers speaking in order of seniority.
Electoral Implications: House Democrats Express 2024 Presidential Race Concerns
The provided documents indicate that beyond the four lawmakers explicitly calling for Biden to step aside, several other Democratic representatives expressed significant concerns about his electoral viability while stopping short of directly requesting his withdrawal. These included Reps. Jim Himes (Connecticut), Don Beyer (Virginia), and Jamie Raskin (Maryland), though Beyer later issued a statement reaffirming support for Biden. Additionally, Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) became the first frontline Democrat from a competitive district to publicly call for Biden's withdrawal on July 6, 2024.
Vice President Harris Discussed as Alternative for 2024 Presidential Ticket
According to the NBC News report, there was "an overwhelming sense among lawmakers" on the call that Vice President Kamala Harris would be a stronger 2024 presidential nominee than Biden and would be the logical choice to replace him should he exit the race. This perspective on Harris as a potential alternative was specifically mentioned in the NBC News article but was not explicitly referenced in the CBS News or NY Post coverage of the call.
Biden's Response to 2024 Presidential Campaign Challenges
All three news sources confirmed that President Biden has remained determined to continue his 2024 presidential campaign despite these calls for his withdrawal. In a July 5, 2024 ABC News interview with George Stephanopoulos, Biden dismissed suggestions to step aside, stating that only "the Lord Almighty" could convince him to exit the race. When asked on Sunday, July 7, while campaigning in Pennsylvania whether the Democratic Party supported his candidacy, Biden simply responded "yes," according to the NBC News report.
Congressional Black Caucus Position on 2024 Presidential Race
The NBC News article specifically reported that the Congressional Black Caucus remains largely supportive of Biden's 2024 presidential candidacy, with only "little cracks" in the group's solidarity. Representatives Maxine Waters and Barbara Lee (both D-California) were mentioned as having defended Biden forcefully on the call. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Florida), a CBC member who was not on the call, released a statement criticizing Democrats calling for Biden to exit the race.
2024 Campaign Finance Considerations Among Democratic Donors
The NY Post article uniquely mentioned concerns from Democratic donors, reporting that some significant financial supporters like Abigail Disney had called for others to withhold contributions until Biden drops out of the 2024 presidential race. The article also noted that some donors were considering diverting resources from the presidential contest to down-ballot races, potentially impacting campaign financing for the 2024 election cycle.
Senate Democrats Address 2024 Presidential Nomination Concerns
Both the CBS News and NY Post articles mentioned that Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) had planned a meeting with Senate Democrats to discuss Biden's candidacy, though CBS reported that this meeting had been canceled. According to CBS News, "Virginia Sen. Mark Warner scrapped a Monday meeting with a group of Senate Democrats to discuss the president's bid." This information about Warner's planned Senate meeting was not included in the NBC News article.
House Democrats from Competitive Districts Express 2024 Election Concerns
The reports indicated particular concern among Democrats in battleground districts about the potential impact of Biden heading the 2024 presidential ticket. Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pennsylvania), who won her 2022 race with 51% of the vote according to NBC News, expressed concerns about campaigning with Biden and how his presence at the top of the ticket could affect down-ballot Democrats like herself. Wild later released a statement acknowledging she had "expressed the same concerns that Americans across the country are grappling with, about President Biden's electability at the top of the ticket."
Total Congressional Opposition to Biden's 2024 Presidential Candidacy
According to the NBC News report, these four new House Democrats calling for Biden to step aside bring the total number of congressional Democrats publicly opposing Biden's 2024 candidacy to "nearly a dozen." The NY Post article specified that these four lawmakers "join five other House Democrats who have publicly called on the president to step aside."The collective reporting from NBC News, CBS News, and the NY Post illustrates growing concerns within the Democratic Party about President Biden's viability as the party's 2024 presidential nominee, primarily centered on perceptions of his age and debate performance against former President Trump, despite Biden's continued insistence that he will remain in the race.Sources Analyzed:
NBC News,
CBS News, and
NY Post*There may be errors on this page.
