Michael Bennet of Colorado is the first Democrat in the Senate to join several House colleagues in breaking with Joe Biden after his disastrous first debate.
Bennet, who briefly ran for president in 2020, was one of three liberal senators who said Biden would lose to Trump in November if the current pace continues, along with Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Jon Tester of Montana.
In an interview later on Tuesday, he confirmed what had been reported, namely that he believes Trump is on track to defeat the 81-year-old Biden.
“Well, it’s true that I said that and I said it behind closed doors and you and others have asked if I said that, and I did. So I thought I should come here and say it publicly,” he said.
Bennet did not explicitly call on Biden to withdraw, but he did say he believes Democrats could lose more than just their hold on the presidency in this election.
Michael Bennet of Colorado is the first Senate Democrat to join several House colleagues in breaking with Joe Biden after his disastrous first debate.
“Donald Trump, I believe, is on track to win this election, perhaps overwhelmingly, and to take control of the Senate and the House of Representatives,” Bennet said.
“I think we could lose the whole thing,” he told CNN.
Bennet, unlike Tester and Brown, is not in a swing state and is not even up for re-election this year.
He sees it as a matter of the fact that the Democrats, who have placed Donald Trump on a pedestal as a unique threat to democracy, do not have the right candidate to defend democracy in Biden.
“This is not a political issue. It’s a moral issue about the future of our country. And I think it’s critically important that we realize what’s in store for us as we put this country on a path together to re-elect Donald Trump.”
He said Senate Democrats will continue to discuss the issue this week, but that people were pressing him about Biden’s health.
“These are my constituents who have said to me, ‘I’ve been through this with my mother, I’ve been through this with my father. I’m terrified of what it will mean if Donald Trump is re-elected president of this country.’
Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz responded to Bennet’s comments in a statement.
Bennet said, while he did not explicitly call for Biden’s resignation, that he believes Democrats could lose more than just their grip on the presidency in this election
Bennet said Senate Democrats will continue to discuss the issue this week, but that people have pressed him about Biden’s health
“No one is more committed to defeating Donald Trump and defending our democracy than Joe Biden, and few know better than Joe Biden how important it is to show up and campaign to earn the support of voters. This was going to be a close race no matter what,” Munoz said.
Bennet is the first member of the Senate to openly suggest that Trump will win the election, while Democrats in the House of Representatives have been much clearer.
Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat from New Jersey, on Tuesday became the 10th member of Congress to call for Biden’s departure.
She said she would support Vice President Kamala Harris as Biden’s replacement on the ballot, the Washington Post.
Senate Democrats have largely held onto their support for the president as he vows to stay in the 2024 race.
“As I’ve said before, I’m for Joe,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told waiting reporters as he returned from a recess this week. He reiterated that stance after lunch with other Democratic senators on Tuesday.
While some in his caucus have raised questions or concerns about the president’s performance during the debates, no member of the Senate’s slim Democratic majority has so far openly called for President Biden’s resignation.
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) said Biden “has to prove to the American people” that he “is ready for four more years.”
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) called for talks on the strongest path forward, saying Trump is a threat to democracy
What some Democratic senators have done, however, is pressure the president to prove he is ready for a strong campaign and a second term.
Bennet told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that it is “really important for us as Democrats to have an open discussion” so they can win control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. However, he stopped short of calling for the president to resign.
As questions mount for Senate Democrats, Republicans see Biden as a potential candidate to target vulnerable senators seeking re-election this year.
Several incumbent Democrats are running in states Trump won in 2020 and are facing stiff challenges from GOP opponents. The 2024 map appears more favorable to Republicans holding the Senate majority.
Republican candidates and party officials have used the president’s performance in debates in recent weeks to raise questions about Biden’s fitness to run and to attack Democratic senators by suggesting they are protecting the president and the White House.