Rep. Doggett calls on Biden to withdraw. He's the first Democrat in Congress to do so

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas,, became the first congressional Democrat to call for President Biden to withdraw from his reelection bid, issuing a statement saying that Biden had failed to reassure voters in last week's presidential debate and was trailing his Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump.

Biden, 81, badly stumbled in the debate, seeming at times to lose his train of thought, and struggled to defend his record. He and his campaign have insisted that he would stay in the race and make a comeback — despite calls from some Democrats and donors to step back and let another party leader run instead.

Asked about Doggett's call, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that he was entitled to his opinion. “It is a big-tent party," she said. The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden would speak this week with Hill leaders and with Democratic governors. The governors were told they could attend the Wednesday meeting in person or by Zoom, a source familiar with the details told NPR, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe the private invitation.

Biden will meet with Democratic leaders on Wednesday

Immediately following the debate, most House Democrats struggled with how to respond, with many acknowledging the president’s poor performance, but none publicly saying he needed to step aside. But five days later, a new CNN poll showedmost voters think Democrats have a better chance with another nominee, and there are signs some Democrats are more willing to break with the White House.

Doggett, who represents a safe Democratic district, said that Biden was trailing Trump in most polls. “I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum