On Wednesday, prominent Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff (CA) called for President Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race due to his apparent cognitive decline.
Schiff is the latest of a few dozen Democrat congressmembers to call for the president to exit the race after Biden’s debate performance against former President Donald Trump in late June raised serious questions about Biden’s mental fitness and ability to do the job.
In a statement reported first by The Times, Schiff said 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,” he said. “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 said the “choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone,” but that he believes it is time for Biden “to pass the torch” and “secure his legacy of leadership” by allowing another Democrat to take his place against Trump.
Schiff also said that he will fully support whoever ends up at being the Democrats’ nominee.
“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.”
