The split in the Democratic Party has only deepened after President Joe Biden’s latest attempt to quell panic about his mental acuity.
On Thursday evening, Biden held a press conference as the NATO summit concluded, and he fought to reassure the Left that he still has what it takes to keep Democrats in the White House this November. The high-stakes event prompted varied reactions from within the president’s party, with some issuing pleas for Biden to withdraw his reelection bid and others continuing to dismiss concerns.
Former Democratic Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, who was among the first in his party to call for Biden to step aside, noted that while the president had positive moments, instances of incoherence gave him pause.
“[Biden] added fuel to the fire with calling Zelensky ‘Putin’ and Harris ‘Trump.’ That will dominate media and be in ads with a billion dollars behind them. All in all, he made matters much worse, not better,” Ryan told the Washington Examiner.
He added that he didn’t think the press conferences stopped the bleeding for Biden and instead gave his detractors “a lot more ammunition.”
Biden had multiple questionable moments during the press conference, the worst being when he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.”
Moments after the presser, Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) became the 14th House Democrat to call on Biden to suspend his campaign. Himes took to X to deliver his announcement, praising the incumbent president, but urging him “not to soldier on.”
Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) also asked Biden to suspend his campaign, fearing the Democratic campaign is “on a losing course.”
“Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign,” Peters wrote in a statement obtained by Politico.
Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-IL) became the third House Democrat to call for the president to step down in the immediate aftermath of the press briefing.
“It is more important than ever that our neighbors have a candidate for President who will communicate a positive vision for every person in this country,” the Democrat warned in a post to X.
Other top Democrats continued to hold out hope for Biden.
Democrat National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison dismissed his party’s concerns over Biden’s presser, calling worries about the president’s numerous gaffes “nitpicking.”
“Focus on the work ahead,” Harrison said in an admonition of his colleagues as he disregarded Biden’s multiple foul-ups as mere “stutters” and “stumbles.” The top Democrat made the remarks during an interview with MSNBC on Thursday evening.
Gov. Josh Green (D-HI) also made a show of support for Biden, telling the Associated Press that his “admiration and love for the president is not going to wane no matter how many ‘moments’ he has.”
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Former Obama adviser David Axelrod, however, echoed many House Democrats’ worries that Biden is on a losing streak. “The age issue is a huge and potentially insurmountable concern,” Axelrod posted to X immediately after the press conference.
The top Democratic strategist called Biden’s path to victory “very slim” while criticizing Biden’s team for gatekeeping unfavorable polling from the president.