List of Democrats Calling for Joe Biden to Resign

Following criticism of his performance during the first presidential debate last week, a growing number of Democrats are calling on President Joe Biden to resign as the party’s presidential nominee.

During Thursday’s CNN debate, the president often spoke in a hoarse voice and at times stuttered and lost the thread.

Replacing Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate just four months before the election would be unprecedented in modern times, but talk of replacing him is growing among fearful Democrats.

At this stage, his successor could only be someone who chose to step down, and the president has made it clear he has no intention of doing so.

At a campaign rally on Friday, Biden acknowledged his poor debate performance but said he believed “with all my heart and soul that I can do this job.”

Seth Schuster, a Biden campaign spokesman, said: Newsweek after the debate: “Joe Biden is not backing down.” Newsweek reached out to the Biden campaign for further comment via email.

Here is a list of prominent Democrats who have called on Biden to resign or expressed concerns about his ability to run.

Democrats call on Biden to resign

Tim Ryan

Tim Ryan, a former Democratic congressman from Ohio, wrote an editorial for Newsweek calling on Biden to resign and be replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I love America. I love our Party. I love Joe Biden,” Ryan wrote. “The Democratic nominee in 2024 should be Kamala Harris.”

Ryan said that while he considers Biden a “good and honorable man,” his debate performance was “deeply disturbing” and “heartbreaking.”

“This isn’t just about a 90-minute debate and a terrible performance. This election has to be about generational change,” he said.

Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang, who ran against Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential election, was among the first voices calling for the president to step down.

“What is Joe Biden’s superpower? That he’s a good guy who will do what’s right for the country. In this case, that means stepping aside and letting the DNC pick another candidate,” Yang wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Yang added that he debated Biden seven times in 2020 and said he “will be a different man in 2024.”

Yang added that if Biden were to step down, “his legacy would be one of personal triumph and nobility.”

Newsweek contacted the Yang Progressive Party using the contact form on its website.

Johanna Mask

Democratic consultant and former assistant to President Barack Obama Johanna Maska, who once worked with Biden, also said she thinks Biden should resign.

“We can’t do this, Democrats. Joe Biden can’t put a sentence together. We have to change our candidate — and we have so many good candidates sitting on the sidelines,” Maska said in a video posted to X.

She mentioned Maryland Gov. Wes More, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Rep. Ro Khanna and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly as potential candidates.

Newsweek contacted Maska via the contact form on its website.

Democrats weigh whether Biden should run

Several other Democrats have questioned Biden’s qualifications to run but have not called on him to resign.

Mike Quigley

Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley told CNN that Biden “needs to be honest with himself” as he considers whether he is ready to run again.

Quigley stressed that the decision to step down would be Biden’s alone, but he should remember that “it will have consequences for decades to come.”

“We have to be honest with each other that it wasn’t just a terrible night. But I won’t go beyond that out of respect and understanding,” he said.

Newsweek contacted Quigley via the contact form on his website.

Peter Welch

Senator Peter Welch of Vermont criticized the Biden campaign’s response to concerns about Biden’s qualifications to run after the debate.

“I really criticize the campaign for being dismissive of people who are asking questions for discussion. It’s just facing the reality of where we are,” Welch told Semafor.

“But this is a discussion we need to have. It needs to happen from the highest levels of the Biden campaign all the way down to the precinct captains on the South Side of Chicago,” he added.

Newsweek I contacted Peter Welch via the contact form on his website.

Sheldon Whitehouse

Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse called on Biden’s team to be transparent about the president’s health.

“I think like a lot of people, I was terrified of this debate,” Whitehouse told 12 News. “President Biden’s blunders and President Trump’s barrage of lies were not what you would expect from a presidential debate.”

“I think people want to make sure that this campaign is poised to win, that the president and his team are being honest with us about his health — that this was a real anomaly, not just how he feels these days,” Whitehouse said.

Newsweek contacted Whitehouse by email.

Van Jones

CNN commentator Van Jones, who also served as a special adviser to then-President Barack Obama, said he was saddened to watch the debate.

“It was painful. I love Joe Biden. I worked for Joe Biden. He didn’t succeed at all. He didn’t succeed at all,” Jones said.

“I think there are many people who will want him to consider a different path now. We are still a long way from our congress and it is time for this party to find another way forward, if he allows us to,” he said.

Newsweek contacted Jones’ representative by email.

David Axelrod

David Axelrod, a former strategist for former President Barack Obama, told CNN about Biden:

“There’s a sense of shock about how he came across at the beginning of this debate. The way his voice sounded. He seemed a little disoriented… There will be discussions about whether he should continue.”

However, on Saturday, Axelrod addressed X, saying Joe Biden is unlikely to drop out of the race, making discussions about replacing him “irrelevant.”

Newsweek I contacted an Axelrod representative by email.

Jamie Raskin

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said there are serious conversations underway within the party about what should happen next.

“Obviously, Joe Biden’s debate performance was a major problem,” he said in an interview with MSNBC.

He added that after the debate, “very honest, serious and rigorous talks took place at every level of our party.”

Newsweek contacted Jamie Raskin via the contact form on his website.