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Election 2024
Deirdre Walsh, NPR and Tamara Keith, NPR

California Rep. Adam Schiff calls for Biden to step aside

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California Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, is calling on President Biden to step aside as the party's nominee for president.
California Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, is calling on President Biden to step aside as the party's nominee for president.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, is calling for President Biden to step aside from his bid for re-election, according to a statement obtained by NPR. The statement was first reported by The LA Times.

In the statement, Schiff, who is currently running for Senate in California, called on Biden to “pass the torch” and “secure his legacy of leadership” by allowing Democrats to defeat Donald Trump.

"Joe Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation's history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better," Schiff wrote. "But our nation is at a crossroads. A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November."

Schiff is the highest-profile Democrat to call for Biden to drop out.

Asked for a response, the Biden campaign pointed to Biden's campaign events this week. He is in Las Vegas campaigning with members of the Congressional Black and Hispanic caucuses.

Biden has said repeatedly that he is not dropping out of the race, and that he believes he is best person to lead the party through the election.

Schiff went on to say the decision is entirely up to Biden and he will support the party's nominee, whoever it may be.

In recent days, Biden has acknowledged that he is still facing doubt in his party. "The story goes [former President Harry] Truman said, if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog," Biden told the NAACP annual convention in Las Vegas. "After the last couple of weeks, I know what he means."

Schiff's statement comes amid a fresh push from skittish Democrats for Biden to step aside. The calls briefly subsided following the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally on Saturday in Pennsylvania. But the clear enthusiasm and confidence of Republicans on display at the Republican National Convention paired with new polls showing slipping support for Biden are fueling Democrats' fears.

Those frustrations have been exacerbated in recent days as the Democratic National Committee is preparing to officially make Biden to be the party’s nominee in a virtual roll call vote that could happen weeks before the party’s convention that begins on August 19 in Chicago.

Copyright 2024, NPR