Republicans are joining House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance's call for President Joe Biden to step down immediately, saying that if he is not able to seek reelection then he is unfit to remain in office as president as well.
Johnson, R-La., in a statement issued shortly after Biden made his announcement Sunday afternoon, said that if he "is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as president. He must resign the office immediately. Nov. 5 cannot arrive soon enough."
Vance, R-Ohio, further called for Biden to resign, questioning how he can "justify" remaining as president.
"If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President?" Vance posted on X on Sunday. "Not running for reelection would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief. There is no middle ground."
Several other Republicans joined in their calls, saying they don't see how Biden can stay as president if he can't run for office.
"If Joe Biden can't run for re-election, he is unable and unfit to serve as President of the United States," Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said in a statement. "He must immediately resign.
"The Democrat Party is in absolute free fall for their blatantly corrupt and desperate attempt to cover up the fact that Joe Biden is unfit for office," she added. "Every elected Democrat in America owns Joe Biden's failed and feckless record causing the border crisis, Bidenflation, and chaos and weakness around the world. President Trump will win this November to save America."
Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., also called for Biden to resign from the White House.
"If Joe Biden is unfit to be the Democrat nominee for president, he's unfit to be president for the rest of his term," Hern posted on X. "For the good of the country, Joe Biden should resign immediately."
Several other key Republicans in Washington and around the nation further called for Biden to step down immediately rather than after the election.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders: "Not fit to run for president, not fit to serve as president. Biden should resign immediately."
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.: "Then RESIGN your office. If you can't run a mere political campaign, you can't be President."
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.: "Doesn't have the mental acuity or cognitive ability to run a political campaign but can serve for 6 more months as president? He should resign."
Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis.: "If you are unfit to stand trial. If you are unfit to run for re-election. Then you are unfit to be president of the United States. Biden must resign."
And even before Biden's announcement, people like Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., were calling for Biden to step down.
"The question is, if he's not going to be their nominee because he's not up to it, how can he be our president for the next six months?" Rubio told reporters at last week's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. "If there's something wrong with you that doesn't allow you to run for president, how can you still be there as president?
"If they're going to remove him as nominee, they've got to remove him as president, and that's really bad for our country."