Inside the plot to oust ailing Biden as Democrats warn make-or-break ABC interview did little to ‘move the needle’ and that president should ‘buckle up for a wild week ahead’
According to sources, a Virginia senator is desperately trying to assemble a group of Democrats to unseat the ailing Biden.
Senator Mark R. Warner is telling people he no longer has confidence in the president because of his poor performance lately. Washington Post defeated.
Biden’s cognitive function has been under intense scrutiny since his car crash while running for president against Donald Trump last month.
Yesterday he tried to limit the damage with an interview with ABC, an appearance that was again criticized by members of his own party.
This struggle has led to calls for Biden to withdraw from the race, but so far he has remained steadfast in his pursuit of running.
Senator Mark R. Warner of Virginia (pictured) reportedly told people he no longer has confidence in the president because of his poor performance of late.
Biden’s cognitive function has been under scrutiny since his car crash as a presidential candidate against Donald Trump last month and a fraught ABC interview on Friday
His stubborn decision has many Democrats concerned, including Warner, who is apparently rallying a group of allies to ask him to resign, two sources said.
Warner spokeswoman Rachel Cohen would not confirm or deny the plans.
“Like many people in Washington and across the country, Senator Warner believes these are pivotal days for the president’s campaign, and he has made that clear to the White House,” she said.
Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is the minority leader, has scheduled a virtual meeting with top Democrats in the House of Representatives on Sunday to discuss the president’s candidacy, senior sources told The New York Times.
The meeting will reportedly be attended by top members of congressional committees, who have grown concerned about Biden’s chances in recent weeks.
Many had hoped that Friday’s interview with George Stephanopoulos would be a chance for Biden, 81, to prove he is fit to continue his leadership.
But the cringe-inducing performance, in which he responded to questions in a hoarse voice, lost the thread mid-sentence and wandered off, failed to convince many Democrats.
Rep. Mike Quigley, Democrat of Illinois, said CNN He found parts of the interview “disturbing.”
He said it was clear that “the President of the United States does not have the necessary decisiveness to address the budget deficit here.”
He also referenced Biden’s response about how he would feel if he lost to Trump.
“He felt that as long as he was doing his best, that was all that really mattered, with all due respect: No.”
Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas was the first to call after the debate for Biden to withdraw from the race. He reiterated his demand on Friday.
“The need for him to step aside is even more urgent tonight than when I first called for it on Tuesday,” he told CNN after the interview.
He added that Biden “doesn’t want to have the legacy of being the one who turned our country over to a tyrant.”
Along with Doggett and Quigley, House Representatives Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and Seth Moulton of Massachusetts have also called for Biden to withdraw.
Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley and Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett reiterated their calls for Biden to resign after the ABC interview
Former Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio told MSNBC he doesn’t think Biden “made a difference.”
“I don’t think he energized anyone,” he said. “I think on some level he didn’t know the reality on the ground.”
Ryan has also called for Biden’s resignation, saying he is “concerned.”
I’m worried, like I think a lot of people feel he’s just not the right person to do this for us.”
Prominent Biden and Democratic donor Mark Buell also expressed concerns about the president’s course.
“Biden is in a downward spiral and he is trying to break it,” he told the New York Times“If he is not successful, he might become a verb.”