Congressman Lloyd Doggett from Austin is the first member of Congress to publicly call on Biden to withdraw from the race after that disastrous debate performance last Thursday and ongoing questions about the president’s age.
“I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so,” Rep. Doggett wrote in a statement.
Within hours, another high-profile Texas Democrat, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro of San Antonio was asked about Doggett’s statement in an interview on MSNBC.
“You believe Joe Biden should drop out of the race,” the cable news host asked Castro.
“I believe another Democrat would have a better shot at beating Trump because as Congressman Doggett said in his statement – it’s too risky,” Castro said.
President Biden’s poor debate performance last Thursday continues to dominate the political news cycle.
State Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, leads the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and was one of the first calling for a new candidate.
“If we decide that we’re going to change horses, I think if we did it at the convention, I think we would have sufficient time to get behind our Democratic nominee and our new ticket. In my opinion, it could energize,” Reynolds told Inside Texas Politics.
The Democratic National Convention is next month in Chicago. But questions are persistent; who else would run, and is it logistically possible to bring in a new candidate months before the election.
Democratic leaders like Hakeem Jeffries, Dallas congressman Colin Allred and Dallas congresswoman Jasmine Crockett say the ongoing discussion only creates a distraction.
“I absolutely think that everyone needs to calm down,” Rep. Crockett told Inside Texas Politics. “You know, Republicans are standing by their man. The fact that Democrats are so scared of their shadow and won’t stand up and say ‘hey he’s got a record to run on, and it’s a strong record and we stand with him – is absolutely ridiculous.”
“Like many Texans, I was disappointed with what I saw in the debate. I know that many conversations about next steps are happening and I have not been a part of those conversations," Rep. Allred told Inside Texas Politics. "I remain laser-focused on listening to Texans about what matters most to them and defeating Ted Cruz. We already have one political pundit in this race who spends hours and hours podcasting about this instead of serving Texans. I will always put Texans first, no matter who is President.”
The Biden campaign is clearly feeling the pressure, though.
The president plans to personally meet with Democratic governors Wednesday at the White House. President Biden also agreed to his first post-debate television interview which will air Friday night on ABC with George Stephanopoulos.
Despite the controversy, the Biden-Harris campaign on Tuesday afternoon announced another fundraising record. In June, the campaign collected $127 million, more than Donald Trump. Of the big fundraising haul, Biden’s campaign said $38 million came in after the debate. It suggests financial donors dismissed what happened on the Atlanta debate stage.
Four months remain until the election.
