Several top House Democrats told House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on a conference call Sunday that President Joe Biden should recuse himself from the 2024 presidential campaign, according to a source familiar with the call.
Jeffries held a conference call to gauge the sentiment of leading lawmakers as they return to Washington this week, and the calls expressed deep concern about the potential damage to Democratic candidates and how it could jeopardize the party’s chances of retaking the House majority.
The number of lawmakers who said Biden shouldn’t be the Democratic nominee outnumbered those who said he should stay in office, according to sources. Among those who opposed Biden’s candidacy were Reps. Mark Takano, Adam Smith, Jim Himes, Joe Morrell, Susan Wild and Jerry Nadler, according to a source familiar with the matter. Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Bobby Scott spoke out in support of Biden, one of the sources said.
One concern expressed during the roughly two-hour call was that Democrats would lose their chance to win a majority in the House of Representatives if Biden becomes the nominee, one of the sources said, adding that there is general agreement that Vice President Kamala Harris should be the nominee.
“It was pretty brutal,” a senior Democratic aide told CNN on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations among House leaders.
Aides said a decision on requesting a White House meeting or sending a letter to Biden is not expected to be made until the full Democratic senate meets on Tuesday, but Jeffries has made it clear he will allow lawmakers to give input and make their own decision.
Biden, visiting battleground state Pennsylvania on Sunday, answered reporters with a resounding “yes” when asked if Democrats still supported him.
This post has been updated.
