星空传媒

Skip to main content

Lloyd Doggett becomes first sitting Democratic member of Congress to call on Biden to withdraw

Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett on July 2 became the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to call on U.S. President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. (Alex Wong / Getty Images via CNN Newsource) Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett on July 2 became the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to call on U.S. President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. (Alex Wong / Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
Share
Washington -

Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas on Tuesday became the first sitting Democratic member of Congress to call on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, a huge moment for the Democratic Party as Doggett says publicly what many elected officials had been speculating about privately.

鈥淚 represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw,鈥 Doggett said in his statement. 鈥淧resident Biden should do the same.鈥

Doggett鈥檚 statement magnifies the pressure surrounding the president and his team, who have been trying to tamp down party concerns in the wake of Biden鈥檚 disappointing debate performance against former President Donald Trump last week, and Doggett鈥檚 comments could embolden others to follow suit.

In calling on Biden to step aside, Doggett said the president could help usher in a new generation of leadership to help the party achieve its ultimate goal: defeating Trump.

鈥淩ecognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden鈥檚 first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw,鈥 Doggett said. 鈥淚 respectfully call on him to do so.鈥

Earlier on Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois had signaled an openness to replace Biden as the party鈥檚 presidential nominee.

鈥淚 think his four years are one of the great presidencies of our lifetime, but I think he has to be honest with himself,鈥 Quigley told Kasie Hunt on CNN 鈥淭his Morning.鈥 鈥淭his is a decision he鈥檚 going to have to make.鈥

鈥淲e have to be honest with ourselves that it wasn鈥檛 just a horrible night, but I won鈥檛 go beyond that out of my respect and understanding of President Joe Biden, a very proud person who has served us extraordinarily well for 50 years,鈥 he added.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a strong Biden ally, said on MSNBC that the president should be participating in multiple interviews as people evaluate him.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 essential for them to do that,鈥 Pelosi told MSNBC鈥檚 Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday.

The former speaker, who emphasized it is Biden鈥檚 decision about whether to step aside, said that she has heard 鈥渕ixed鈥 responses to the debate from donors and other people in her Democratic network.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a legitimate question to say, is this an episode or is this a condition,鈥 Pelosi said, though she added that the same should be asked of Trump, citing his repeated lies during the debate.

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, a crucial ally for Biden, said on MSNBC he still supports Biden at the top of the ticket but added that he would support Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden were to withdraw as the Democratic presidential nominee.

鈥淚 will support her if he were to step aside,鈥 Clyburn said when asked what he would do if Biden withdraws, later adding, 鈥淭his party should not in any way do anything to work around Miss Harris.鈥

However, Clyburn reaffirmed his support for Biden. 鈥淚 want this ticket to continue to be Biden-Harris and then we will see what happens after the next election,鈥 he said.

Even more Democrats have been expressing their concerns behind the scenes.

While the Biden campaign and White House have maintained that the president is staying in the race and have chalked up Biden鈥檚 debate performance to a bad night that doesn鈥檛 overshadow his accomplishments, lawmakers from across the party have been reaching out to share their anxieties about Biden remaining at the top of the ticket.

A House Democratic lawmaker told CNN that, 鈥淭here鈥檚 a large and increasing group of House Democrats concerned about the president鈥檚 candidacy, representing a broad swath of the caucus. We are deeply concerned about his trajectory and his ability to win. We want to give him space to make a decision [to step aside] but we will be increasingly vocal about our concerns if he doesn鈥檛.鈥

CTVNews.ca 星空传媒

Thousands of employees with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario are set to walk off their jobs on Friday as the union says 'talks have broken down' and it is not hopeful that a deal will be reached to avert a strike.

As receipts tick ever higher for Canadians at the grocery store and shoppers continue to search for savings, one Canadian grocer has ended a perceived deal.

A B.C. judge has ordered the sale of a Surrey home despite the objections of the woman who lives there, who owns it jointly with her son.

Local Spotlight

Lacey may look like just another pet chicken on Emily Carrington鈥檚 B.C. property. But she has a title her coop mates don鈥檛: Guinness World Record holder.

Philip Kim, who competes as "B-Boy Phil Wizard," is set to make Canadian sports history this summer as the country's first-ever Olympic breaking athlete.

A new documentary filmed in Nova Scotia by marine biologist and veterinarian Dr. Chris Harvey Clark explores the increased number of white shark observations in Canadian waters.

A never-before-lived-in mansion in Whistler is on the market for $17.9 million 鈥 with the listing describing it as a 'steal for the international buyer' due to the current exchange rate, which puts the price in U.S. dollars at $13.1 million.

Irish singer Niall Horan had to ditch his car and walk to Scotiabank Arena where his concert was being held last weekend because the traffic was 'too bad' downtown.

A rave at the Ontario Science Centre was the place where Greg LeBlanc says his relationship first began with his husband Mark in 1997.

The city is entering the final stages of resuming water service through its repaired feeder main, as water consumption continues to fall below the city鈥檚 threshold level.