Several top Democrats in the United States have called for Joe Biden to pull out of the leadership race amid deepening concerns he would not be able to beat Donald Trump.
Pressure has been building on the 81-year-old US president following his dire performance during a debate against Mr Trump, 78, last month.
He compounded his problems by mistakenly introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” at a NATO summit in Washington DC. He then referred to his number two, Kamala Harris, as “Vice President Trump” at a news conference.
Here is the full list of the high-profile Democrats who have called for Mr Biden to stand down.
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Barack Obama
Former president Barack Obama has reportedly told allies Mr Biden’s path to victory has greatly diminished.
Mr Obama has “concerns” about his ability to remain as the Democratic nominee, two people familiar with his thinking told NBC News, Sky’s US partner.
He sees Mr Biden’s route to victory in November “getting harder”, said one of the sources.
Nancy Pelosi
While former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has not publicly urged Mr Biden to stand down, she reportedly worries he is dragging down the party.
An ally of Ms Pelosi told Politico she will do “everything in her power” to remove him as a candidate.
Chuck Schumer
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly had a blunt meeting with Mr Biden last weekend during which he made the case it would be best if the president dropped out of the race, ABC News reported.
Hakeem Jeffries
US House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has expressed similar views to Mr Schumer directly to Mr Biden, ABC News also reported.
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Lloyd Doggett
Lloyd Doggett was the first Democrat in the US Congress to call for Mr Biden to stand down.
The Texas representative spoke strongly about Mr Biden’s performance in his debate against Mr Trump last month.
In a statement earlier this month he said: “Instead of reassuring voters, the president failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump’s many lies.”
In another statement he said Mr Biden should “make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw”.
Adam Schiff
Adam Schiff, who led the first impeachment trial against Mr Trump, is the most high-profile Democrat to openly call for Mr Biden to drop his bid for re-election.
He made the announcement after the assassination attempt against the former president.
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, the representative from California said “it is time for him to pass the torch” and he has “serious concerns about whether the president can defeat Donald Trump”.
Mike Levin
Mike Levin, another California representative, said he believed “the time has come for President Biden to pass the torch”.
In a statement, he said: “It is time to move forward. With a new leader. Together.”
It has also been reported that, along with his public calls, he confronted the president directly in a virtual meeting earlier this month.
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Seth Moulton
Seth Moulton, a representative from Massachusetts who ran to be the Democrats’ presidential nominee in 2020, told local media “now is the time for [Mr Biden] to follow in one of our founding fathers, George Washington’s footsteps, and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump”.
Brittany Pettersen
Britanny Pettersen, a Colorado representative and one of the organisers of Mr Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008, tweeted to urge Mr Biden: “Please pass the torch to one of our many capable Democratic leaders so we have the best chance to defeat Donald Trump, who is the greatest threat to the foundation of this country that we have ever faced.”
Raul Grijalva
Arizona representative Raul Grijalva told the New York Times he would support Mr Biden if he was the candidate but added: “I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere.”
He added: “What [Mr Biden] needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat – and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.”
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Eric Sorensen
Eric Sorensen called on Mr Biden to stand down after Mr Biden’s disastrous NATO summit in Washington earlier this month.
The Illinois representative tweeted asking Mr Biden to put “country over party” and “step aside in his campaign for president”.
Scott Peters
California representative Scott Peters said Mr Biden’s performance during his debate with Mr Trump “raised real concern” and he urged the president “to withdraw from the presidential campaign”.
“The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course,” he added.
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Marie Gluesenkamp Perez
In a statement to local media Marie Gluesenkamp Perez implied Mr Biden should abandon his bid for reelection.
The Washington representative said “the crisis of confidence in the president’s leadership needs to come to an end” and urged Mr Biden to “do what he knows is right for the country and put the national interest first”.
She also suggested “unelected advisers” are “making important decisions” instead of the president.
Mike Quigley
Illinois representative Mike Quigley urged Mr Biden to “step down and let someone else do this”.
He told MSNBC doing so was the only way to “prevent utter catastrophe”.
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Jim Himes
Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called on Mr Biden to step down after his NATO gaffe.
In a statement on X the Connecticut representative urged Mr Biden to “step away from the presidential campaign”.
He said the party must “put forth the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by Trump’s promised MAGA [Make America Great Again] authoritarianism”.
Angie Craig
Minnesota representative Angie Craig tweeted to urge Mr Biden to “step aside for the next generation of leadership”.
“The stakes are too high,” she added.
Referring to the presidential debate, she said she did “not believe the president can campaign and win against Donald Trump”.
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Ed Case
Hawaii representative Ed Case said: “I do not believe President Biden should continue his candidacy for re-election as president.”
“This is solely about the future, about the president’s ability to continue in the most difficult job in the world for another four-year term,” he added.
He said the decision “should be made on the merits, with no questions as to basic capacity to discharge responsibilities over another term”.
Adam Smith
Adam Smith, the leader of the House Armed Services Committee, also called on Mr Biden to call off his campaign.
In a statement, he said the candidate vying to become president should be “able to clearly, articulately, and strongly make his or her case to the American people”.
“It is clear that President Biden is no longer able to meet this burden,” he added.
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Greg Stanton
Arizona has become a litmus test for American politics in recent times, making it a real battleground state, and representative Greg Stanton has said it is time for Mr Biden to step aside.
He issued a statement on X urging Democrats to select a candidate who will “have the confidence of the American people to handle the rigours of the hardest job on the planet”.
“I believe it is time for the president to step aside as our nominee,” he added.
Mikie Sherrill
Representing another key battleground state, New Jersey’s Mikie Sherrill asked Mr Biden to “declare that he won’t run for re-election”.
In a statement on X, she instead urged the president to “lead us through a process toward a new nominee”.
Brad Schneider
Illinois representative Brad Schneider said in a statement he thinks Mr Biden should “pass the torch” to a new generation of leadership.
He added: “We are faced with a stark choice: be resigned to slog through this election praying we can successfully defend our democracy, or enthusiastically embrace a vibrant vision for our future.”
Pat Ryan
Pat Ryan wrote an opinion article in the Poughkeepsie Journal, titled: “Biden, it’s time to step aside. For the good of our country.”
In the article, the New York representative urges Mr Biden to “step aside” for “the future of our kids and grandkids”.
He says he hopes the president can “deliver on his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders”.
Hillary Scholten
Michigan representative Hillary Scholten issued a statement on X saying: “For the sake of our democracy, [Biden] must pass on the torch to a new candidate.”
Earl Blumenauer
Earl Blumenaur, a representative for Oregon, issued a statement to say: “President Biden should not be the Democratic presidential nominee.”
He added: “There is no question in my mind that we will all be better served if the president steps aside and manages a transition under his terms.”
