Senior House Democrats urge Biden to step down from 2024 race

Several senior Democrats in the House of Representatives urged US President Joe Biden to abandon his attempt to run for reelection during a private call organized by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Sunday afternoon, according to several participants.

Among those strongly advocating for Biden's withdrawal were Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), and Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY).

Members expressed concerns about Biden's trajectory, including Reps. Jim Himes (D-CT), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Rick Larsen (D-WA). 

This is considered a bad omen for Biden's campaign as all elected Democrats prepare to return to Washington on Monday evening, where representatives will face tough questioning about their party's standard-bearer.

This comes in addition to five House Democrats who have publicly called for Biden's withdrawal, while many others have privately expressed concerns about his viability.

Aaron Fritschner, a spokesperson for Beyer, posted on X in response to reports suggesting that Beyer called for a new candidate, "To be clear, [Beyer] supports President Biden and said so on this call, and any reports to the contrary are a misunderstanding of what he said and believes."

Statement from @DonBeyerVA on President Biden: https://t.co/NJgOUJCnPB pic.twitter.com/PQtcDmX5Nm

— Aaron Fritschner (@Fritschner) July 7, 2024

It is not just the House; a group of Senate Democrats is reportedly planning to discuss Biden's trajectory, led by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), once the Senate returns to Washington.