Democratic senators are due to have a meeting on Thursday with advisers from President Biden’s campaign.
Some Senate Democrats appear to be turning on President Joe Biden as he faces continuing pressure to pull out of the 2024 presidential race following a lackluster debate performance.
Senator Peter Welch of Vermont became the first Democrat in the Senate to publicly call for Biden to step aside in an op-ed published by The on Wednesday, while other Democrats have also raised questions about the president’s ability to win in November.
Senate Democrats will hold a meeting on Thursday with senior Biden campaign officials at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), where they are expected to express their concerns.
«We cannot unsee President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. We cannot ignore or dismiss the valid questions raised since that night», Welch wrote in his article on Wednesday. «For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.»
Newsweek reached out to the Biden campaign via email outside of normal working hours for comment.
While Welch has called for Biden to step aside, Axios reported on Wednesday that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has privately expressed an openness to a Democratic ticket that is not led by Biden.
Schumer has been publicly supportive of Biden, but Axios reported that he has been having conversations with donors and other senators about the matter.