BREAKING: Dems stage protest outside White House demanding Joe Biden step down: 'Pass the torch!'

A protest converged outside the White House on Saturday to encourage Joe Biden to step out of the presidential race. With signs like "Pass the torch, Joe!" and chants of "thank you Joe, it's time to go," activists attempted to manifest a resignation that Joe Biden has said will absolutely not happen.

Semafor's David Weigel was on the scene, capturing footage and still of protesters begging Biden "don't be an RBG," referring to the liberal Supreme Court justice who died in office rather than resign during the Obama administration so that a progressive president could appoint a progressive successor.

Mother Jones was also out there in the rain filming speakers calling for Biden to step aside for the good of the party.

"You promised a bridge. Don't give us a wall," read another sign, along with "Save democracy, defeat MAGA." The protest was organized by Pass The Torch Joe and was highlighted by the Action Network. 

"Join us outside the White House this Saturday from 3:00 PM-4:00 PM to ask Joe Biden to pass the torch and step aside from the Democratic nomination," organizers said. "Now, more than ever, we need the strongest candidate possible in order to win in November."

Their goal was to "show the party leaders that there is a strong majority of people who want Biden to #PassTheTorch. 72% of registered voters do not think Biden should be running for president including the majority of Democrats."

They criticized the Biden campaign's claim that "only elites" are looking for him to step out of the race, saying "Biden's campaign is saying only the elites are trying to stop him from running. It's not true, and we need your help to prove it!"

The permitted protest organizer Pass the Torch "is a newly formed network of activists, organizers, and voters committed to the belief that nothing matters as much as making sure Democrats have a ticket that can beat Donald Trump." Pass The Torch is a political action committee, or PAC.

While they know who they don't want in the White House, Pass The Torch isn't altogether sure who they do want in there. "The threat of a second Trump presidency, extremist MAGA Republicans & their Project 2025 agenda are clear," they say on X.

One idea has been to allow for an open convention where additional candidates could be nominated and voted on. But the DNC has decided to move ahead with a virtual nomination of the incumbent president prior to the convention, stripping delegates of that opportunity.

"We can defeat Trump. We can build an America that works for all of us. But we need Joe Biden to #PassTheTorch to a nominee who’s energized & ready to take that torch and run!"

The group released a TV ad to encourage Biden to leave the race and "make sure Donald Trump never gets near the White House again." People speaking in the ad appeal to Biden's sense of duty and his responsibility to his legacy, saying "be the leader we know you are and pass the torch."

Many Democrats have been begging Biden to step out of the presidential race since his sad debate performance against Donald Trump on June 27. While many have called for him to step away, however, there has been little indication of who would take his place at the top of the party ticket.

Kamala Harris, as vice president, is the obvious choice except that she's not well-liked among voters. Other floated options have been Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer or California's Gavin Newsom. The speculation that he should leave the race has prompted some to suggest that he should resign the presidency.

JD Vance said that if Biden isn't fit to run in November, he isn't fit to lead until November. "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 said. "He should resign now."

https://twittwe.com/JDVance1/status/1814657912762966064