Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) criticized President Joe Biden’s campaign for dismissing concerns from Democrats and voters about Biden’s age following the president’s poor debate performance.
In an interview with Semafor, Welch said it was “inappropriate” for the Biden campaign to dismiss concerns about Biden, 81, and his old age. Many Democrats have been alarmed in the past few days in the fallout of Biden’s debate performance, in which he gave rambling answers and looked physically uncomfortable onstage.
“I really do criticize the campaign for a dismissive attitude towards people who are raising questions for discussion. That’s just facing the reality that we’re in. That’s hardly — I won’t repeat their term,” Welch said, alluding to the Biden campaign’s use of the term “bedwetting” in a weekend campaign email. “But that’s the discussion we have to have. It has to be from the top levels of the Biden campaign to precinct captains in the southside of Chicago.”
“The campaign has raised the concerns themselves,” Welch said. “So then to be dismissive of others who raise those concerns, I think it’s inappropriate.”
The Biden campaign has attempted to squash concerns about Biden’s age and chalked up the debate performance to a hiccup along the campaign trail.
“Joe Biden is going to be the Democratic nominee, period. End of story,” the email said. “And if he were to drop out, it would lead to weeks of chaos, internal food fighting, and a bunch of candidates limp into a brutal floor fight at the convention.”
“The bedwetting brigade is calling for Joe Biden to ‘drop out.’ That is the best possible way for Donald Trump to win and us to lose,” the email read.
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Welch also said the Democratic Party has the “existential responsibility” to prevent a second term for former President Donald Trump.
“Passivity is not the response that is going to work for us. We all have to be self-conscious,” Welch said. “We all have to be acutely aware that our obligation is to the country, even more than the party. That’s the obligation we have — what’s best for the country.”