Hogan says Biden not the strongest candidate

Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) on Sunday called President Joe Biden “not the strongest nominee” for the Democratic party and suggested the leading Democratic candidate step aside ahead of the potential 2024 presidential election.

“Look, I think that we've got two really weak potential nominees. And frankly, I keep saying that, you know, I'm hopeful that we can nominate – the Republican Party can nominate – someone other than Donald Trump and that's what I'm working toward,” Hogan said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.

“And quite frankly, I agree with David Axelrod, that maybe – and I probably will go further than him and say that – Joe Biden is not the strongest nominee for the Democrats, that it's probably in his best interest and his family's and the party's and the country's if he were to step aside,” Hogan added, in a joint interview with Democratic strategist David Axelrod, who stressed that he does not hold the same view.

Biden has faced a series of bad polls in recent weeks – including a New York Times/Siena College poll showing him losing to former President Trump in a hypothetical rematch in five of six key battleground swing states.

Hogan, a moderate Republican, is the national co-chair of the No Labels group, which has floated the possibility of mounting a third-party presidential run in 2024 if there is no viable alternative to Trump.

The idea has faced significant pushback from critics who see it as a losing cause – and one that could potentially propel Trump to another term in the White House.

Hogan says he is committed to finding a GOP alternative to Trump and that if there is a chance a No Labels third-party run could jeopardize Biden’s chance at the White House, in a hypothetical rematch, the group would not want to launch the challenge.