Uproar over Biden’s campaign shows no signs of abating. Manchin is latest to call for a new nominee

WASHINGTON (AP) — The uproar over President Joe Biden’s reelection bid showed no signs of abating Sunday with a fifth senator urging him to withdraw from the race and let Democrats hold an “open process” for a new nominee. The Biden campaign acknowledged “differing opinions” but said the party would unite to defeat Republican Donald Trump.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, an independent who considered a White House run this year and as a Democrat often bucked his party’s leadership, was the latest member of Congress to suggest Biden focus on the remaining months of his presidency, even as the 81-year-old incumbent plans a return to campaigning this week after isolating at his Delaware beach home with COVID-19.

“I came to the decision with a heavy heart that I think it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation,” Manchin said in a series of Sunday news show interviews.

Nearly three dozen Democrats in Congress have said it’s time for Biden to leave the race. Four Democratic senators — Peter Welch of Vermont, Jon Tester of Montana, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sherrod Brown of Ohio — have said Biden should bow out.

Biden’s debate performance raised open questions about his ability to mount a convincing campaign to defeat Trump, but the president’s team has made clear that Biden is committed to winning a second term and that the campaign is built to prevail a close election.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«Read more» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-parsely-title=«Related Stories» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Read more </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Live updates: Sen. Joe Manchin says Biden should