- Sen. Peter Welch called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 election.
- Welch was the first Senate Democrat to publicly urge Biden not to seek reelection.
- Eight House Democrats have called on Biden to resign following his disastrous performance in the first debate.
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 election in a Washington Post op-ed on Wednesday, becoming the first Senate Democrat to publicly urge an end to his reelection campaign.
Welch cited Biden’s “disastrous debate performance” and “legitimate questions” about whether the 81-year-old president is fit for the job.
“I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and he wants to do it again,” Welch wrote. “But he needs to reconsider whether he is the best candidate to run. In my view, he is not.”
Business Insider has reached out to the Biden campaign and Welch’s office for comment.
Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet on Tuesday stopped short of calling on Biden to drop out of the race but said it was an issue that needed to be discussed.
“I think this race is on a very worrying trajectory if you care about the future of this country,” Bennet told CNN.
Bennet also said he believes Democrats risk losing not only the White House but also the Senate and House of Representatives if Biden becomes the nominee.
Eight House Democrats have already called on Biden to withdraw.
Speaking to BI on Tuesday about Bennet’s comments, a Biden campaign spokesman said the president was determined to beat Trump in November and that it was always going to be a close race.
“There are still days until Election Day and the effort to count every vote is far from over,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
This is breaking news, please check back for updates.
