Democrats Steadily Boost Pressure On Joe Biden To Withdraw From Presidential Race

Almost every day for weeks, another elected Democrat has either told President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race or suggested he think about it.

On Thursday, Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) came as close as possible to saying Biden should bow out without actually saying so.

“That’s his decision to make, but certainly there’s more and more indications that that would be in the best interests of the country, I think,” Hickenlooper told Reuters .

Hickenlooper’s comment followed Wednesday’s more forceful statement by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, likely the next Democratic senator from California and the highest-profile Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw.

So far, only 20 elected Democrats have said the president should let someone else face Donald Trump in November, but it seems likely the number will grow. Many other lawmakers have voiced concerns to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who in turn related those concerns directly to the president over the weekend.

Biden and his campaign have insisted he’s still running and that he can win, as they have ever since his bad debate performance on June 27 prompted Democrats to panic about this candidacy. Polls have borne out concerns that the June debate would weaken Biden’s support among likely voters.

“I don’t know how many times President Biden can answer this question,” campaign spokesperson Quentin Fulks said Thursday on MSNBC . “He will be the Democratic nominee. And we will beat Donald Trump in November.”

A White House source told Reuters Thursday they believed former Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) gave Schiff the nod to drop his