Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts has urged President Biden to step down from his re-election campaign amidst concerns about a potential wave of defections following his recent debate performance. Moulton stated, âPresident Biden has served our country admirably, but now is the time for him to emulate one of our founding fathers, George Washington, and make way for new leaders to challenge Donald Trump,â in an interview with WBUR on Thursday.
His spokesperson, Sydney Simon, confirmed on Friday that Moulton had indeed called for Biden to exit the race. Moulton did not specify who he believes should replace Biden at the forefront of the campaign or how that individual should be selected, whether by elevating Vice President Kamala Harris to the nominee position or through a competitive process.
Moulton is the third House Democrat to publicly advocate for Biden’s withdrawal from the campaign, following Representatives Lloyd Doggett of Texas on Tuesday and RaĂșl M. Grijalva of Arizona on Wednesday.
While some have expressed reservations about Biden’s candidacy without explicitly denouncing him, Moulton had previously voiced concerns about Biden’s chances in the election. In a recent statement, Moulton emphasized the importance of Biden demonstrating his ability to lead a robust and successful campaign.
Moulton briefly ran for president in 2019, competing against Biden and other Democratic candidates in the primary race. However, his spokesperson clarified that there are no plans for Moulton to launch a presidential campaign this year.
Tim Balk contributed reporting.
