Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, on Tuesday called on President Biden to withdraw from the Democratic nomination.
Doggett became the first sitting House Democrat to call on Biden to stop campaigning for president.
In a statement, Doggett praised Biden's years of public service, saying he “has accomplished much for our country at home and abroad.” But he said it was time for Biden to step aside from the race because “too much is at stake to jeopardize a Trump victory and the risk is too great to assume that what we couldn't turn around in a year, what we couldn't turn around in the debates, we can turn around now.”
“President Biden saved us from President Trump in 2020 and saved our democracy,” Doggett said. “We must not hand us over to President Trump in 2024.”
Doggett, 77, who has served in Congress since 1995, said Biden should act like Lyndon B. Johnson, who once represented Doggett's current district, and make the “painful decision to step aside.”
“Much of his work will be transformative, but he has vowed to be in a transitional position,” Doggett said. “He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders who can select candidates who will unite our country through an open, democratic process.”
Doggett added that the decision to make the call was not made lightly and does not “diminish my respect for all that President Biden has accomplished.”
“I expect him to make the hard and difficult decision to withdraw,” he said. “I respectfully urge him to do so.”
In an interview with The Washington Post after the announcement, Doggett said his views were not unusual among his colleagues.
“I know not everyone agrees with me,” he said, but “it's important that this message is heard because I think it reflects the feelings of a significant number of my colleagues.”
Doggett also said he wished he had spoken out sooner about Biden's candidacy, but said he and other Democrats worry that Republicans will weaponize their concerns.
“That's why I, and a lot of other people, didn't come out sooner,” he said. “This should have been done a year ago.”
Asked about Doggett's call for Biden to drop out of the presidential race, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House respected “other people's opinions and thoughts.”
“I think that's what makes this party different from other parties,” she said.
