LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville congressman is the latest Democratic lawmaker to call on President Joe Biden to "step aside" as the party's presidential nominee.
On Friday, U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey called the president an "effective leader" who has carried the nation through a global pandemic, adding that Biden is a good man who cares deeply about the American people.
"There has never been any doubt that he genuinely cares about our country, our government, and the people who make it great," McGarvey said in a statement. "That's why there is no joy in the recognition he should not be our nominee in November."
Biden released his own statement Friday, doubling down on his candidacy despite pressure from his own party to bow out of the 2024 election to avoid widespread losses.
Biden called Trump's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, showcased a “dark vision for the future." The president, seeking to move the political conversation away from his fate and onto his rival's agenda, said he was planning to return to the campaign trail next week after contracting COVID-19.
The President insists that he has a path to victory over Trump. But McGarvey said the stakes in this election are "too high."
"We can’t risk the focus of the campaign being anything other than Donald Trump, his MAGA extremists, and the mega-wealthy dark money donors who are prepared to destroy our path toward a more perfect union with Trump’s Project 2025," he said. "The future of the Supreme Court, protecting access to healthcare, a woman’s right to choose, and combating climate change are among the critical issues at stake."
Among the Democrats expressing worries to allies about Biden's chances were former President Barack Obama and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who has privately told Biden the party could lose the ability to seize control of the House if he doesn’t step away from the 2024 race.
"I trust that [Biden] will do what's best for the nation, and we will come together as Democrats to move the country forward," McGarvey said.
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