17 Dem reps and senators call for Biden to exit race

Two more Democrat lawmakers have called for Joe Biden to step down in light of mounting pressure for him to not be the nominee in the upcoming 2024 election. This comes after his dismal debate performance against presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. The two Democrats bring the total to 17 lawmakers in the Senate and the House who have publicly called for Biden to step aside.  

Reps. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) and Ed Case (D-HI) called for Biden to step aside for someone else to run against Trump for the presidential race, per Politico. “For the sake of American democracy, and to continue to make progress on our shared priorities, I believe it is time for the President to step aside as our nominee," Stanton said in a statement. 

Case also stated, “I do not believe President Biden should continue his candidacy for re-election as President." With two more being added to the list of Democratic lawmakers, 17 have now publicly asked for the incumbent president to step aside in hopes of someone else to take the reins.  

The list of the 17 lawmakers who have now asked for Biden to step aside includes Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Seth Moulton (D-MA),  Mike Quigley (D-IL), Angie Craig (D-MN), Adam Smith (D-WA), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Pat Ryan (D-NY), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Hillary Scholten (MI),  Brad Schneider (D-IL), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Ed Case (HI),  Jim Himes (D-CT), Scott Peters (D-CA), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), and the single Senator who has made the call Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), per the New York Times as of Friday morning, after Biden's "big boy" presser.

On Thursday, Biden staffers met with Democrat lawmakers in a closed-door meeting in an attempt to calm the nerves and tamp out fires in the party regarding Biden's fitness for office. The meeting failed to change the mind of Welch, the lone Senator who has thus far come out publicly in opposition to a second Biden run. "I have great respect for their team. It doesn't change my point of view," Welch told reporters.  

A number of Senators were not reassured after the meeting with the Biden staff, “He's got to demonstrate that the debate was just a bad night. … There’s a clock running," Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) said of Biden. 

“It was very clear that we were asked not to say anything," Sen. Cory Booker said of the meeting. Moderate Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) who recently registered as a independent after leaving the Democrat Party, said he would be meeting with Biden over the weekend and added that Biden aides gave no indication that the incumbent president plans to drop out.