The number of House Democrats calling on President Biden to end his re-election campaign grew to four on Friday, as Biden stepped up his efforts to convince Democrats he is fit to run and vowed to stay in the race.
Rep. Mike Quigley, Democrat of Illinois, called the president’s candidacy “a very bleak scenario with, I would say, almost no chance of success” in an interview on MSNBC on Friday, just before Biden’s conversation with ABC News.
His comments came a day after Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts said in an interview with Boston radio station WBUR that Biden should step aside to make way for a new generation of leaders, comments Moulton’s spokeswoman confirmed Friday. Two other House Democrats had called on Biden to drop out of the race earlier this week: Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona on Wednesday and Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas on Tuesday.
Mr Quigley said he found it “difficult to process that point with him, as I think anyone who respects him so much would.”
He continued: “I would say, Mr. President, your legacy is set. We owe you the greatest debt of gratitude. The only thing you can do now to cement that forever and avoid total catastrophe is to step down and let someone else do it.”
Mr. Moulton was equally effusive in his praise of the President.
“President Biden has done a tremendous service to our country, but now it is time for him to follow in the footsteps of one of our founding fathers, George Washington, and step aside so new leaders can rise up and take on Donald Trump,” Moulton said.
Mr Moulton said he did not yet know who he thought should replace Mr Biden at the top of the ticket, or how that person would be chosen. Mr Quigley said he was confident the Democratic Party would “unite behind one candidate this time”, and added that he had the “utmost respect” for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Mr. Quigley added that whatever Mr. Biden decides to do “doesn’t just affect the White House. It affects the entire Congress and our future.”