Rep. Adam Schiff has joined the growing chorus of those calling for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
Schiff argued that it is time for Biden to step aside and let the party choose a new nominee, citing concerns that he cannot beat former President Donald Trump.
“President Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better. But our nation is at a crossroads,” Schiff told the Los Angeles Times. “A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.”
Schiff told the Times that the “choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone,” but he is urging Biden “to pass the torch” and “secure his legacy of leadership” by stepping aside for someone who can beat Trump.
The congressman told the newspaper that he would support whoever is the nominee, even if it remains Biden.
“I will do everything I can to help them succeed,” Schiff said. “There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high.”
The article was released shortly after a devastating poll from the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (NORC).
The poll, released on Wednesday, found that 70 percent of Americans and 65% of Democrats believe Biden should step aside and let the party choose a new nominee to face off against former President Donald Trump in November. It was mostly completed before the assassination attempt on Trump.
"The survey – which was conducted July 11-15, mostly completed before the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump – finds that more people view Biden as honest than Trump. But Trump is more likely to be seen as capable of winning in November and better able to handle a crisis," the pollsters found.
Just 35 percent of Democrats said that Biden should stay in the race.
Almost half of the Democrat respondents said they are "not very" or "not at all" confident that Biden has the mental capacity to serve as president properly — this is up from one-third who said the same in February. Just 27 percent said they are "extremely" or "very confident" in his ability to lead effectively, down from 40 percent the last time the poll was conducted.
"Republicans have more confidence in Trump. Sixty percent of Republicans are extremely confident that Trump has the mental capability to serve effectively as president, not substantially different from February."
