List of Democrats Calling on Joe Biden to Stand Down

02/07/2024

President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on July 1, 2024 in Washington, DC. The highest court ruled 6-3 that presidents have some level ofA growing number of Democrats have been calling on Biden to step down as the party's presidential nominee.

After facing criticism for his performance at the first presidential debate last week, a growing number of Democrats have been calling on President Joe Biden to step down as the party's presidential nominee.

In Thursday's CNN debate, the president often spoke with a raspy voice and at times stumbled over his answers while appearing to lose his train of thought.

Biden being replaced as the Democrat's presidential candidate just four months before the election would be unprecedented in modern times, but discussions about replacing him have been growing louder among panicked Democrats.

At this stage he could only be replaced if he chose to step down—and the president has made clear he has no intention to do so.

At a campaign rally on Friday, Biden acknowledged his poor debate performance, but said he believed "with all my heart and soul that I can do this job."

Seth Schuster, a Biden campaign spokesperson, told Newsweek after the debate: "Joe Biden is not dropping out." Newsweek reached out to the Biden campaign for further comment via email.

Here is a list of prominent Democrats who have called on Biden to stand down or expressed concerns about his ability to run.

Democrats calling on Biden to stand down

Tim Ryan

Tim Ryan, the former Democratic congressman from Ohio, wrote an op-ed for Newsweek calling for Biden to step down and be replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris.

"I love America. I love our Party. I love Joe Biden," Ryan wrote. "The Democratic Nominee in 2024 should be Kamala Harris."

Ryan said that while he believes Biden is a "good and honorable man," his debate performance was "deeply troubling" and "heartbreaking" to watch.

"It isn't just about a 90-minute debate and a terrible performance. This election needs to be about generational change," he said.

Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang, who ran against Biden for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, was one of the earliest voices calling for the president to step aside.

"What's Joe Biden's superpower? That he's a good guy who will do the right thing for the country. In this case, that's stepping aside and letting the DNC choose another nominee," Yang wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Yang added that he had debated Biden seven times in 2020, and said that "he's a different guy in 2024."

Yang added that if Biden stepped down "his legacy would be one of personal triumph and nobility."

Newsweek reached out to Yang's Forward Party via contact form on its website.

Johanna Maska

Democratic consultant and former aide to President Barack Obama Johanna Maska, who once worked with Biden, also said that she believed Biden should step aside.

"We cannot do this Democrats. Joe Biden can't put a sentence together. We have to change our candidate—and we have so many good candidates who are sitting on the sidelines," Maska said in a video posted to X.

She listed Maryland Governor Wes More, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, California Representative Ro Khanna and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly as potential candidates.

Newsweek reached out to Maska via contact form on her website.

Democrats questioning whether Biden should run

Several other Democrats have questioned Biden's suitability to run, but have stopped short of calling for him to step aside.

Mike Quigley

Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois told CNN that Biden "has to be honest with himself" when considering whether he is up for running again.

Quigley stressed that the decision to step down would be only Biden's to make, but that he should bear in mind that it will "have implications for decades to come."

"We have to be honest with ourselves that it wasn't just a horrible night. But I won't go beyond that out of my respect and understanding," he said.

Newsweek reached out to Quigley via contact form on his website.

Peter Welch

Senator Peter Welch of Vermont criticized the Biden campaign's response to concerns about Biden's suitability to run following the debate.

"I really do criticize the campaign for a dismissive attitude towards people who are raising questions for discussion. That's just facing the reality that we're in," Welch told Semafor.

"But that's the discussion we have to have. It has to be from the top levels of the Biden campaign to precinct captains in the southside of Chicago," he added.

Newsweek reached out to Peter Welch via contact form on his website.

Sheldon Whitehouse

Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse urged Biden's team to be transparent about the president's condition.

"I think like a lot of people I was pretty horrified by the debate," Whitehouse told 12 News. "The blips of President Biden and the barrage of lying from President Trump were not what one would hope for in a presidential debate."

"I think people want to make sure that this is a campaign that's ready to go and win, that the president and his team are being candid with us about his condition—that this was a real anomaly and not just the way he is these days," Whitehouse said.

Newsweek reached out to Whitehouse via email.

Van Jones

CNN commentator Van Jones, who also served as a special adviser for then-President Barack Obama, said that he was saddened watching the debate.

"That was painful. I love Joe Biden. I worked for Joe Biden. He didn't do well at all. He did not do well at all," Jones said.

"I think there's a lot of people who are going to want to see him consider taking a different course now. We're still far from our convention, and there is time for this party to figure out a different way forward if he will allow us to do that," he said.

Newsweek reached out to a representative for Jones via email.

David Axelrod

David Axelrod, a former strategist for former President Barack Obama, told CNN about Biden:

"There is a sense of shock at how he came out at the beginning of this debate. How his voice sounded. He seemed a little disoriented... There are going to be discussions about whether he should continue."

However, on Saturday, Axelrod took to X to say that Joe Biden is unlikely to drop out of the race, rendering discussions about replacing him "irrelevant."

Newsweek reached out to a representative of Axelrod via email.

Jamie Raskin

Representative Jamie Raskin from Maryland, admitted that there were serious conversations happening within the party about what should happen next.

"Obviously, there was a big problem with Joe Biden's debate performance," he said in an MSNBC interview.

He went on to say that there were "very honest, and serious and rigorous conversations taking place at every level of our party" following the debate.

Newsweek reached out to Jamie Raskin via contact form on his website.