Rep. Adam Schiff calls for Biden to end his 2024 candidacy

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Wednesday joined the ranks of Democratic members of Congress calling for President Biden to exit the 2024 presidential race.

**Why it matters:** Schiff is the most high-profile elected Democrat to call for Biden's withdrawal and the first to do so publicly since former President Trump was shot in an assassination attempt on Saturday.

**What he's saying:** "While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch," Schiff said in a statement, which was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

In withdrawing, Schiff added, Biden could "secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election."

"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," he said.

**Between the lines:** Schiff's comments follow a brief interlude in the aftermath of the Trump shooting in which Democratic lawmakers said Biden's candidacy was not their priority.

Schiff, who is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in California, was recorded saying of Biden at a fundraiser before the shooting: "I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose."

But a fight over plans to virtually nominate Biden ahead of the Democratic convention in August thrust that conversation back to the forefront of lawmakers' minds on Tuesday.

**The other side:** A Biden campaign official pointed to Biden repeatedly emphasizing that he will not drop out of the race. They also noted that he has received support from dozens of House and Senate Democrats and is currently campaigning with multiple Congressional Black Caucus members.

**Go deeper:** These congressional Democrats are demanding Biden withdraw.



Scoop: Biden rebellion resurfaces on Capitol Hill





• Andrew Solender,

• Alex Thompson

• Share on facebook (opens in new window)

• Share on twitter (opens in new window)

• Share on linkedin (opens in new window)

• Share on email (opens in new window)



President Biden delivers an address in the Oval Office on July 14, 2024. Photo: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Democratic members of Congress are reviving a fight over President Biden's candidacy following a brief respite in the wake of Saturday's assassination attempt against former President Trump, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Some lawmakers are uneasy about the Democratic National Committee's plans to forge ahead with a virtual roll call vote to nominate Biden weeks before the Democratic convention.

• "People are back to being angry at Biden and a push to sign on to this letter is going around ... the 'replace Biden' movement is back," a House Democrat told Axios.

Driving the news: A letter circulating among congressional Democrats argues that there is "no legal justification" for an early virtual roll call after Ohio moved its filing deadline past the date of the Democratic convention.

• "We respectfully but emphatically request that you cancel any plans for an accelerated 'virtual roll call' and further refrain from any extraordinary procedures that could be perceived as curtailing legitimate debate," it says.

• The DNC moved toward a virtual vote before the debate in response to Ohio threatening to not put Biden on the ballot because the party's convention was after their deadline. Ohio changed the rule, but the DNC has pushed forward — arguing that the legislature could in theory reverse itself.

• "The suggestion that the timeline for the virtual roll call has been accelerated is false," DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement to Axios. "The timeline for the virtual roll call process remains on schedule and unchanged from when the DNC made that decision in May."

•Scoop: Biden rebellion resurfaces on Capitol Hill


Andrew Solender
,
Alex Thompson

Share on facebook (opens in new window)

Share on twitter (opens in new window)

Share on linkedin (opens in new window)

Share on email (opens in new window)
President Biden, seen through a blur, wearing a gray suit and sitting at the resolute desk in front of a gold curtain.
President Biden delivers an address in the Oval Office on July 14, 2024. Photo: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Democratic members of Congress are reviving a fight over President Biden's candidacy following a brief respite in the wake of Saturday's assassination attempt against former President Trump, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Some lawmakers are uneasy about the Democratic National Committee's plans to forge ahead with a virtual roll call vote to nominate Biden weeks before the Democratic convention.

"People are back to being angry at Biden and a push to sign on to this letter is going around ... the 'replace Biden' movement is back," a House Democrat told Axios.
Driving the news: A letter circulating among congressional Democrats argues that there is "no legal justification" for an early virtual roll call after Ohio moved its filing deadline past the date of the Democratic convention.

"We respectfully but emphatically request that you cancel any plans for an accelerated 'virtual roll call' and further refrain from any extraordinary procedures that could be perceived as curtailing legitimate debate," it says.
The DNC moved toward a virtual vote before the debate in response to Ohio threatening to not put Biden on the ballot because the party's convention was after their deadline. Ohio changed the rule, but the DNC has pushed forward — arguing that the legislature could in theory reverse itself.
"The suggestion that the timeline for the virtual roll call has been accelerated is false," DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement to Axios. "The timeline for the virtual roll call process remains on schedule and unchanged from when the DNC made that decision in May."