In an opinion piece in the Washington Post, Vermont Democratic Senator Peter Welch called on President Joe Biden to step down as the Party’s presidential nominee in 2024 after his poor debate performance so another candidate could take on Trump.
“But I, like folks across the country, am worried about November’s election,” Welch writes. “The stakes could not be higher. We cannot unsee President Biden’s disastrous debate performance. We cannot ignore or dismiss the valid questions raised since that night. I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and wants to do it again. But he needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not. For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race.”
Welch becomes the first Democratic Senator to call for Biden to step down which is notable, but Welch’s influence is negligible. Outside of Vermont and maybe New Hampshire, who knew Vermont’s other Senator? But in the chamber of 51 in the Democratic caucus, one voice could carry.