Democratic House hopeful calls on Biden to withdraw from race: 'People need to come to their senses'
Democratic congressional candidate Adam Frisch joined some other prominent Democrats calling for President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, arguing that his performance at the CNN Presidential Debate was likely not his "only bad night."
Frisch, who is running to flip Colorado's 3rd Congressional District from red to blue, urged Biden to step aside in an interview on "America Reports" Wednesday, echoing calls from a few others in his party who came forward to express their concerns about the 81-year-old president's fitness for office.
He had first made his plea on Tuesday.
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"Listen, I think with all due respect, President Biden's been on a one-way, downhill place for months, based on polling," Frisch said. "I’m not a doctor. I'm not going to play one on TV… [but] I’m hearing from boots-on-the-ground Democrats and independents — they do not like where they see the president's going in his ability to articulate a vision on the forward. That’s where everybody is stuck."
Questions about the president's physical and mental condition were brought to the forefront during last Thursday's CNN Presidential Debate between Biden and former President Trump, during which the president was seemingly confused at times, mouth agape, and frequently unable to complete sentences.
"Those 12 or 13 Biden advisers have been hiding him for months and months and months, skipping the Super Bowl ad, not having as many press conferences as I believe presidents have had in the past," Frisch alleged. "It was a bad night, but it was not [the] only bad night, and I think people need to come to their senses about that and try to move forward with a new plan."
In a statement released Tuesday, Frisch urged Biden and other Democrats to put politics aside and consider what is "best for the country" before calling on Biden to "withdraw from the race."
"Democrats, independents and Republicans are all saying the same thing. It’s just time to move on, and we have to figure out [how] to find someone who is actually fit to do the job," he told Fox News' Aishah Hasnie.
"For two years now, I've said that a one-term president for President Biden would be best for the country. Whether this is good for my election, if my comments of late are bad, I do not know. I do know it's good for the country to make sure we are trying to find someone who has the capability with respect to lead the country strong for the next four years," he added.
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Frisch's comments came after Reuters first reported that a group of 25 House Democrats was preparing to call on Biden to step aside as the 2024 candidate if he does not buck concerns that he's not up to the task within a matter of days.
There are also reports of letters circulating among House Democrats that would call for Biden to withdraw from the race, Fox News Digital reported. Efforts have included both vulnerable Democrats in swing districts and left-wing lawmakers in safe seats, one of two sources familiar with the discussions said.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, became the first sitting House Democrat to outright call for Biden to pull out of the race. Other House Democrats are reportedly questioning whether Biden is the best-positioned candidate to beat Trump, who they largely view as a threat to democracy.
The White House has blamed "jet lag" and a "cold" for Biden's performance on the debate stage.
Biden reportedly denied that he is stepping aside when he and Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance Wednesday on a Democratic National Committee call to try to calm allies.
"I am running. I am the leader of the Democratic Party. No one is pushing me out," Biden was reported as saying.
The Biden campaign told Fox News Digital in response to Democrats' concerns: "He is absolutely not dropping out."
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gave the same answer during Wednesday's briefing when asked whether Biden is considering stepping down.
On Tuesday, when asked whether the president had Alzheimer's disease or dementia, she replied, in part, "It's a no."
Fox News' Chad Pergram and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.