Michael Bennet becomes first Senate Democrat to publicly warn that Biden can't beat Trump

WASHINGTON — Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado on Tuesday night became the first Senate Democrat to publicly say President Joe Biden can’t win the election, he but stopped short of calling for him to withdraw from the race.

In an appearance on CNN, Bennet was asked whether he and Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, had told their colleagues during a private meeting on Capitol Hill that Biden can’t defeat former President Donald Trump in the fall. He confirmed that he had made those remarks.

“Well, it’s true that I said that, and I did say that behind closed doors. And you guys and others asked whether I had said it, and that is what I said. So I figured I should come here and say it publicly,” said Bennet, who ran against Biden in the 2020 presidential primary campaign.

Bennet, who is in his third term, raised concerns about polling that has found Trump leading Biden less than four months before Election Day.

“Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election and maybe win it by a landslide and take with him the Senate and the House,” Bennet said. “So for me, this isn’t a question about polling, it’s not a question of politics. It’s a moral question about the future of our country, and I think it’s critically important for us to come to grips with what we face if, together, we put this country on the path of electing Donald Trump again.”

In response to Bennet's remarks, Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said Biden isn’t throwing in the towel.

“No one is more committed to defeating Donald Trump and defending our democracy than Joe Biden, and few know better than Joe Biden the importance of showing up and campaigning to earn the support of voters,” Munoz said in a statement. “This was always going