(FreePressBeacon.com) – After a day of secretive discussions in Washington, congressional Democrats are in total disarray about whether Joe Biden should continue as the party’s nominee amid increasing concerns about his age and overall decline.
While exiting a series of private meetings on Capitol Hill, lawmakers looked concerned and were quiet about Biden’s prospects. However, few were ready to publicly suggest he withdraw from the race.
Rep. Steve Cohen (TN) captured the mood, remarking, “We’re not even in the same book,” when asked if the party was unified.
In the Senate, there were similar sentiments. “We’ve got a ways to go,” Senator Peter Welch (VT) told journalists after a lengthy caucus lunch meeting.
The discord widened as Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ) became the seventh Democrat in Congress to openly call for Biden to step down after faltering debate performance against former President Donald Trump.
“The stakes are too high – and the threat is too real – to stay silent,” Sherrill stated, acknowledging the difficulty of the decision. “It is time to do so again.”
“Right now President Biden is the nominee, and we support the Democratic nominee that will beat Donald Trump,” stated House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA) at a press briefing after the meeting at Democratic National Committee headquarters.
Aguilar emphasized that it was up to Biden to demonstrate his capability to voters by actively campaigning and effectively handling media scrutiny.
He also pointed to an upcoming news conference after the NATO summit in Washington as a critical opportunity for Biden.
Biden also engaged with over 200 Democratic mayors via a virtual call. He said he was confident in his reelection strategy, highlighting grassroots efforts supporting his campaign.
Amid these internal debates, some Democrats, including key figures from the Black and Hispanic caucuses, have expressed their support for Biden.
Meanwhile, Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado voiced doubts on CNN about Biden’s ability to secure a victory in November, suggesting the party needs to discuss the situation.
“We should be having a discussion about that,” Bennet said, though he stopped short of directly urging Biden to step aside. “This is something for the president to consider,” he added.
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