Newsman: Democratic Rep. of Texas Lloyd Doggett on Tuesday, became the first sitting Democratic member of Congress publicly calling for President Joe Biden to step aside and make way for a “new generation of leaders” to unite the country.
“I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw,” Doggett said in a statement Tuesday. “President Biden should do the same.”Lloyd Doggett said. “President Biden saved our democracy by delivering us from Trump in 2020,” he said. “He must not deliver us to Trump in 2024” he said.
Texas Rep. Doggetis now the first Democratic lawmaker to break away from towing the party line.
Biden’s debate performance has shaken up Democrats who are raising concerns that he is not up to the task of counteracting former President Donald Trump – even though few are willing to speak out publicly against him.
But the Biden campaign is dismissing, downplaying, and mocking Democratic critics who are raising concerns that he is not up to the job.
In calling on Biden to step aside, Doggett said the president could help usher in a new generation of leadership to help the party achieve its ultimate goal: defeating Trump.
“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,” Doggett said. “I respectfully call on him to do so.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois had signaled an openness to replace Biden as the party’s presidential nominee on CNN “This Morning.”
“I think his four years are one of the great presidencies of our lifetime, but I think he has to be honest with himself,” Quigley told Kasie Hunt on CNN “This Morning.” “This is a decision he’s going to have to make.”
“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 of President Joe Biden, a very proud person who has served us extraordinarily well for 50 years,” he added.