During the CNN presidential debate on June 27, the 81-year-old Biden grappled with a hoarse voice and stumbled over words and moments. The public saw the president repeatedly freeze up and lose his train of thought that day. Aides attributed this to a cold he seemingly picked up during his weeklong out-of-the-public preparation for the debate held in Atlanta.
The Democratic Party panicked and was alarmed that Biden struggled to maintain coherence against Trump, the 78-year-old presumptive Republican nominee. (Related: Biden's debate performance raises alarm among Democrats. Here's why.)
The anonymous House Democratic aide said the 25 House Democrats, particularly those in competitive districts, are now considering drafting a letter to Biden to urge him to reconsider his candidacy if he appears "shaky" in the "coming days." These lawmakers are most vulnerable to losing their seats in the upcoming November elections.
Moreover, a second House Democratic aide mentioned that moderate Democrats in competitive districts face increasing questions from constituents post-debate.
"It looks like the dam has broken," the second House Democratic aide said.
This report follows a public call by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) on July 2 that Biden should step aside after his shaky debate performance.
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"I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by [former President] Lyndon Johnson," Doggett said. "Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw. President Biden should do the same. While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional."
"He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process. My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved. Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden's first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so."
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) echoed this statement the next day in his op-ed article for the Bangor Daily News. Golden openly questioned Biden's ability to win reelection while stating that he would find a potential Trump victory in November acceptable.
"After the first presidential debate, lots of Democrats are panicking about whether President Joe Biden should step down as the party’s nominee," Golden wrote. "Biden's poor performance in the debate was not a surprise. It also didn’t rattle me as it has others because the outcome of this election has been clear to me for months: While I don't plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And I'm OK with that."
Similarly, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) told local outlet KATU: "The truth, I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump." While she stopped short of calling for Biden to withdraw, she acknowledged the damage caused by the debate.
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Watch this video of the presidential debate between Trump and Biden.
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