15 US Democratic House Members Demand Biden Resignation...Mounting Pressure

7 Resignations Demanded in the House in One Day
Growing Anxiety Among Close Associates
Repeated Verbal Blunders at NATO Summit

Following the U.S. presidential election TV debate, concerns about President Joe Biden's advanced age have intensified, leading to increased pressure for him to withdraw from the race. As many as 15 members of the House of Representatives have publicly called for his resignation. Additionally, at the NATO summit on the 11th (local time), Biden made a series of verbal slips, further escalating calls for his withdrawal from both inside and outside the Democratic Party.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On that day, Representative Greg Stanton (Arizona) issued a statement saying, "I was one of President Biden's early supporters in 2020," and added, "It is time for President Biden to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders for the sake of our country."

Other representatives who publicly demanded Biden's withdrawal included Jim Himes (Connecticut), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington), Ed Case (Hawaii), Bradley Schneider (Democrat), and Hillary Scholten (Michigan).

Six House members called for his resignation in just one day. By 8:30 p.m. that day, the total number of representatives demanding Biden's withdrawal had reached 15.

On the same day, Biden's campaign officials held a private luncheon meeting with senators to manage party sentiment. The New York Times assessed that while no additional calls for resignation were made at the meeting, concerns were not alleviated. Senator Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut) said, "Some concerns have been eased, but others have deepened."

U.S. media reported that anxiety about Biden's inability to win the election is spreading even among the president's close circle. NBC News cited three of Biden's closest aides assisting his re-election campaign, stating, "There is little chance President Biden will win, and he is likely to drag down Democratic candidates in the concurrent Senate and House elections." Some reports even suggest that whether Biden resigns or loses to former President Trump, it is already over.

Earlier, Axios and others reported on the 10th that Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader and a close ally of Biden, was privately considering Biden's successor. However, Schumer's office denied these reports and emphasized support for President Biden.

On the same day, Democratic House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced that he would begin gathering opinions from all 213 Democratic House members.

Previously, on the 8th, both the Senate and House held meetings but failed to reach a consensus. The calls for Biden's resignation had quieted down but resurfaced the day before when Biden allies, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and actor George Clooney, urged him to step down.

Within and outside the Democratic Party, there is analysis that the NATO press conference that day could be a turning point. Politico reported that at least six Democratic lawmakers plan to issue a public statement if President Biden makes significant mistakes during the NATO press conference. Three congressional offices have already completed draft statements.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who attended the NATO summit with President Biden, told the BBC in an interview that Biden is "very much intact." However, Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as "President Putin" and called Vice President Kamala Harris "Vice President Trump," which is expected to fuel further controversy.

Meanwhile, a poll conducted by ABC News and The Washington Post through Ipsos from the 5th to the 9th surveyed 2,431 American adults, with 67% of respondents saying that based on the first TV debate, President Biden should withdraw from the race.