Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday joined a growing group of lawmakers from across the political spectrum who publicly call for President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 election race the day after the debate Last month, he told “Face the Nation” that he was “hopeful” that “if the torch is passed to a new generation,” Mr. Biden can finish his current term and “be the president that I know he is and can be.”
“I would like President Biden to be able to finish his five months in office truly leading this country, as I know he can,” Manchin said. “And if he were to pass the torch at this point, he could focus all of his energy on the next five months, on how we can heal.”
Manchin added that if Mr. Biden focused instead on the remainder of his term as president and not on his campaign, “he would leave with an unparalleled legacy.”
Mr Biden’s performance at the televised event with former President Donald Trump has sent panic through the Democratic Party, with some leaders now questioning whether he is fit to be their nominee. The president’s recent COVID-19 diagnosis is also fueling those concerns.
“He will leave a legacy unlike many people, one of the best … and a true American patriot,” Manchin said of Biden during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.” earlier Sunday morning. “It is therefore with a heavy heart that I come to think that the time has come for him to pass the torch to a new generation.”
Manchin is technically registered as an independent, since he announced his exit from the Democratic Party In May, the West Virginia senator continued to engage with Democrats, as did his fellow independents. He told “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz that he had not spoken to Mr. Biden in the past three weeks but was “concerned about the health and well-being of the president.”
“It’s concerning when you look at it,” Manchin said. While the senator said he believes Biden can finish his current term, “and finish the way he wants to,” he believes the president should end his reelection campaign and allow someone new to take over as the Democratic nominee.
“It is time for a new generation to try to heal the party and heal the country,” he said.
His comments echo similar calls from Democratic lawmakers who have asked Mr. Biden to abandon his reelection bid. On Friday, nine House Democrats and two other Democratic senators — including Senator Sherrod Brown, a key Biden ally who faces a tough reelection campaign — called on Mr Biden to step down in the 2024 race.
