Vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) is challenging President Joe Biden to step down from office amid growing calls from members of the Democratic Party for him to end his campaign following a dismal late June debate performance and tanking poll numbers.
Vance, who former President Donald Trump chose to be his running mate on Monday, the first day of the Republican National Convention, said that if Biden cannot run for office due to cognitive concerns, he cannot remain in office.
“Everyone calling on Joe Biden to *stop running* without also calling on him to resign the presidency is engaged in an absurd level of cynicism,” Vance wrote on the X platform. “If you can’t run, you can’t serve. He should resign now.”
Everyone calling on Joe Biden to *stop running* without also calling on him to resign the presidency is engaged in an absurd level of cynicism.
If you can’t run, you can’t serve.
He should resign now.
— JD Vance (@JDVance1) July 20, 2024
But apparently, Biden—who is currently recovering from COVID despite receiving multiple vaccinations—has no plans to leave the race.
“I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week to continue exposing the threat of Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda while making the case for my own record and the vision that I have for America: one where we save our democracy, protect our rights and freedoms, and create opportunity for everyone,” he said in a Friday statement.
“The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win,” he said.
Some Democrats have shown support for the president but have been said to want him off the ticket behind the scenes.
“He’s one of the most accomplished American presidents in our history,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.
“He has the vision … and the track record to make a case to the American people that will result in us being successful in November,” he said.
Other Democrats, including Montana Sen. John Tester, whose seat Republicans believe they can flip in November, have begged the president to step aside.
“Montanans have put their trust in me to do what is right and it is a responsibility I take seriously. I have worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong. And while I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term,” he 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,” California Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff, a candidate for Senate, said. “But our nation is at a crossroads. 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.”
“President Biden has been an incredible President who has led this country back to strength after the Pandemic. I am proud of the work we have done to pass monumental legislation that is leading to the first real investments in our communities in decades,” fellow California Rep. Jim Costa said. “But for the good of the country, I think it is time for the President to pass the torch to the next generation to carry on the legacy he started. Democrats need to unite and deliver their strongest team to the American people in this election.”
“I want to be clear that should you formally become the Democratic nominee for President I will do everything I can to promote your candidacy and to work for your success. Unfortunately, I greatly doubt that the outcome will be positive, and our country will pay a dreadful price for that,” another California Democrat, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, added.
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