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Several Democratic lawmakers on Thursday called on Joe Biden to end his reelection campaign and allow another candidate to run against Donald Trump, hours before the president was scheduled to hold a much-anticipated news conference at the end of this week’s NATO summit.
At least four other House Democrats issued statements that appeared to come at the end of the NATO meeting; party leaders, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, had urged Democrats not to damage Biden’s image during a time when so many foreign leaders were visiting Washington.
The press conference will be BidenHe had far fewer formal contacts with journalists during his tenure than any of his predecessors.
But it is widely seen as a make-or-break moment for him. Biden’s campaign crisis has engulfed the Democratic Party, the White House and the president. Re-election campaign Working to head off calls from Capitol Hill, influential donors and party officials for him to step down.
Among the lawmakers who have explicitly called for Biden to step down after the NATO summit are House Democrats Hillary Scholten, Ed Case, Greg Stanton and Brad Schneider.
“For the good of our democracy, I believe he should withdraw from the presidential race and allow new leaders to step forward,” Scholten said in a statement.
They join at least a dozen other members of Congress in saying Biden should suspend his reelection campaign.
But House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters Thursday morning that he plans to speak with each of the more than 200 Democrats in the House of Representatives before discussing next steps with his top team.
“This week, as House Democrats, we have been having conversations. Those conversations have been candid, comprehensive, and clear, and they will continue,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries faces growing calls from within the caucus for Biden, 81, to step down as concerns grow that the president is incapable of defeating Donald Trump He would continue to serve in the White House for four more years.
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Many Democrats on Capitol Hill worry Biden could influence congressional races and kill the party’s chances of regaining control of the House.
But Jeffries insisted Thursday that he remains optimistic about the party’s chances in the election and his own chances of becoming the next House speaker. “House Democrats will take back control of the House on November 5th,” he said.
Democratic donors told the Financial Times on Wednesday that funds for the party’s campaign have now “dried up” as Biden remains the Democratic nominee.
“We haven’t spoken to anybody in the Senate, donors or the House who doesn’t want to see another candidate,” said Jeff Walker, a Democratic donor and investor who is part of the Leadership Now Project, which has called on Biden to end his campaign.
Biden’s poor performance in a debate with Trump nearly two weeks ago sparked panic across the Democratic Party, with influential donors and party insiders worried that the president was unfit to run for reelection and another four-year term, and lawmakers increasingly concerned.
The White House and Biden campaign insist the president is committed to running for reelection, defeating Trump and serving another term in the Oval Office.
Additional reporting by Alex Rogers and Steff Chávez in Washington
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