Texas Democrat becomes first member of Congress to call for Biden to drop out

Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the first member of Congress to call on Biden to drop out, saying "too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory."

• Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat from Texas, just called on Joe Biden to drop out of the race.
• He is the first sitting Democratic member of Congress to do so.
• "Too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory," he said.

Following Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democratic sitting member of Congress to call on the president to drop out of the presidential race.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Austin-area lawmaker praised Biden's record of accomplishment but warned of the "authoritarian takeover" that would come if former President Donald Trump wins.

"Too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory — too great a risk to assume that what could not be turned around in a year, what was not turned around in the debate, can be turned around now," said Doggett.

Noting Biden's poor debate performance, the 77-year-old lawmaker said that he hoped the debate would turn around what has been months of poor polling for the president.

"It did not," said Doggett. "Instead of reassuring voters, the President failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump's many lies."

Doggett also noted that his district overlaps with the House district once represented by President Lyndon B. Johnson, who chose to withdraw from the presidential race in 1968 amid widespread dissatisfaction with his handling of the Vietnam War.

"Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw," Doggett said of Johnson. "President Biden should do the same."

It remains unclear whether other lawmakers will join Doggett.

Former Rep. Tim Ryan, an Ohio Democrat who served in the House for 20 years and mounted a presidential campaign and Senate bid, published an op-ed on Tuesday calling for Biden to be replaced with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris is one of several potential Democratic contenders who could emerge if Biden were to step aside.