Moderate House Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has become the 15th congressional Democrat to call for President Biden to withdraw his re-election bid, citing concerns about his age, health, and fitness to serve. The growing chorus of opposition within the president's own party comes in the wake of a disastrous debate performance against former President Trump and growing fears about Biden's chances in the upcoming election.
President Biden is facing an escalating challenge within his own party as Democrats express increasing doubts about his ability to win a second term. Moderate House Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has become the 15th congressional Democrat to call for Biden to end his re-election bid, citing concerns about his age, health, and fitness to serve.
Gluesenkamp Perez, one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the upcoming election cycle, has frequently broken from her party on votes. In a statement to local outlet KGW, she explained her decision to speak out against Biden.
Biden's Presidency Under Fire as Democrats Raise Doubts About His Capacity
"I've spent the past two weeks listening to my constituents express their concerns about the President's age and health," she said. "Americans deserve to feel their president is fit enough to do the job. The crisis of confidence in the President's leadership needs to come to an end. The President should do what he knows is right for the country and put the national interest first."
Gluesenkamp Perez's statement comes on the heels of a disastrous debate performance by Biden against former President Trump late last month. Biden spoke with a hoarse voice, which he attributed to a cold, and stumbled over his answers several times. Viewers also observed him appearing tired and noticeably less sharp than he looked the last time he faced Trump in 2020.
Biden's Presidency Under Fire as Democrats Raise Doubts About His Capacity
The debate performance spurred concerns among members of Biden's party that he would lose to Trump in November and may not be fit to serve another four years. Gluesenkamp Perez told KATU after the debate, "About 50 million Americans tuned in and watched that debate. I was one of them for about five very painful minutes. We all saw what we saw, you can't undo that, and the truth, I think, is that Biden is going to lose to Trump."
Biden, for his part, has maintained several times that he is not budging. However, the growing chorus of opposition within his own party is a significant blow to his presidency and raises serious questions about his ability to win a second term.
Biden's Presidency Under Fire as Democrats Raise Doubts About His Capacity
Gluesenkamp Perez's statement comes just a few hours before Biden's 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time press conference. It's a pivotal event for the president as he seeks to fight back doubts that he's not physically or mentally fit for the White House.
House Democrats left Capitol Hill around noon on Thursday to return to their districts for a week-long break. Before that, left-wing lawmakers spent the week huddled as both a caucus and in smaller groups to discuss the path forward for Biden.
Biden's Presidency Under Fire as Democrats Raise Doubts About His Capacity
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a prominent member of the left-wing group of House Democrats known as "The Squad," said she and her colleagues had a "blistering" meeting with Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, on Wednesday to discuss his future.
"We just laid out our case for why he has to step down, and gave him our reasons. He received it graciously and said that he understood our concerns. But at the end of the day, Joe Biden is the president and he makes the decisions about his own future," Ocasio-Cortez said.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who has said he is behind the presidential ticket, told reporters earlier Thursday that he did not believe Biden was a drag on vulnerable Democrats.
"House Democrats are engaged in conversations with House Democrats at this moment in time. Those conversations have been candid, clear eyed and comprehensive, and that's important for us to do as a House Democratic caucus family. And as long as those conversations are ongoing, I'm going to respect the sanctity of those conversations until we conclude that process," he said.
However, the growing chorus of opposition within the Democratic Party is a clear sign that Biden is facing an uphill battle to win a second term. The president's age, health, and fitness to serve are all major concerns for his party, and the disastrous debate performance against Trump has only served to amplify those doubts.
It remains to be seen whether Biden will heed the calls from within his own party to withdraw from the re-election bid. However, the growing opposition is a significant setback for the president and raises serious questions about his future.
