President Joe Biden faces increasing pressure from Democrat members of Congress, some of whom are calling for him to withdraw as the party's nominee, Axios reported.
Concerns about President Biden's political strength and fitness for office have led to significant dissent within the Democratic Party. While Biden's campaign has attempted to dismiss doubters as overly anxious, this approach is backfiring.
On Tuesday, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, became the first sitting Democratic member of Congress to call for Biden to step down, alongside former Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, and Colorado congressional candidate Adam Frisch.
"Some of us don't want to wake up on Nov. 6 kicking ourselves because we had all of these red flags and warnings, and we couldn't muster the courage to do something about it," said one House Democrat.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., stated in a local TV interview that the Biden campaign should be "candid with us about his condition." Similarly, Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., told CNN that the campaign "needs to listen to us."
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., criticized the campaign's "dismissive attitude" in an interview with Semafor, referring to a fundraising email that labeled Democrats concerned about Biden's condition as "bedwetters."
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., remarked on MSNBC that it was "legitimate" to question the health conditions of both Biden and Trump.
"There is a lot of apprehension. That's an understatement," Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., told Axios. He explained that public worries have surfaced following Biden's poor performance in Thursday's debate, and members are now "digesting how the public is being influenced by this."
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., emphasized the need for Democrats to focus on winning rather than engaging in internal conflicts, saying Democrats "must be laser-focused on winning, not hand wringing, or sentimentality, or insulting each other as 'bedwetters,' or anything else."
The term "bedwetters" has particularly angered lawmakers. "Consider me a 'bedwetter.' This is not getting better," one House Democrat told Axios.
"This is real! To ignore what the public obviously feels is ridiculous," a lawmaker said, noting the troubling image of the president hobbling downstairs as he was being escorted off the CNN debate stage by his wife.
Several House Democrats have suggested that Biden should meet with the Democratic Caucus to address their concerns. "Explain what happened and explain how it won't happen again," said Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio.
Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., also advocated for a caucus meeting and suggested Biden should have a televised interview with a respected news anchor, such as CNN's Chris Wallace. He added, "I think that Joe Biden is the nominee. He's the nominee apparent unless he withdraws, and he's not going to withdraw from what I can see."
When asked for comment, the Biden campaign referred to a statement from spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg asserting that Biden "is absolutely not dropping out."
They also cited support from top Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
"I'm with Joe Biden," Schumer said Tuesday at an event in Syracuse, New York, according to NBC News. "We've worked hard together for four years and delivered a lot for America and for central New York, I'm for Biden."
Asked if he believes Biden is fit to serve another term, Schumer reportedly said, "Yes, I do."