US election: Democrats pressure Biden to drop presidential race

More pressure mounts on President Joe Biden of the United States, US, to drop out of the presidential race.

Five more House Democrats on Friday joined the growing number of congressional lawmakers who asked Biden to drop out of the 2024 election.

The lawmakers are Reps. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., Marc Veasey, D-Texas, Chuy Garcia, D-Illinois and Marc Pocan, D-Wisc.

In a joint statement, they urged Biden to “pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders.”

According to the lawmakers, “Mr. President, with great admiration for you personally, sincere respect for your decades of public service and patriotic leadership, and deep appreciation for everything we have accomplished together during your presidency, it is now time for you to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders.

“We must defeat Donald Trump to save our democracy, protect our alliances and the rules-based international order, and continue building on the strong foundation you have established over the past four years.

“At this point, however, we must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign.

“These perceptions may not be fair, but they have hardened in the aftermath of last month’s debate and are now unlikely to change.

“We believe the most responsible and patriotic thing you can do at this moment is to step aside as our nominee while continuing to lead our party from the White House.”

Another House Democrat, Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois, separately urged Biden to drop out of the race.

“It’s time for Joe Biden to pass the torch,” Casten wrote.

“Politics, like life, isn’t fair. And as long as this election is instead litigated over which candidate is more likely to be held accountable for public gaffes and ‘senior moments,’ I believe that Biden is not only going to lose but is also uniquely incapable of shifting that conversation.”