More than 30 Democratic officials have publicly called for President Joe Biden to step down as the party's nominee after his disastrous performance in the first debate against Donald Trump, which intensified concerns about his age and fitness for office.
Among those calling for a change is Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas, the first to publicly urge Biden to withdraw, saying he hoped the president would make the 'painful and difficult decision'. Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois wrote in the Chicago Tribune that Biden was 'uniquely incapable' of shifting the conversation away from his age.
Other prominent voices include Representatives Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, who said Biden should 'get out of this race', and Kathy Castor of Florida, who suggested it was 'an exciting time to possibly pass the torch'. Collectively, they cite the need to protect democracy and defeat Donald Trump as paramount.
Biden initially pushed back, challenging doubters to run against him, but amid reports that he is wavering, the list of Democrats calling for him to step aside continues to grow, including some from safe seats and battleground states.
