In a recent development, Ohio's Republican Senator J.D. Vance has vehemently criticized the mounting pressure on President Joe Biden from his own party to step down from the 2024 presidential race.<
This comes in the wake of Biden's performance in a debate against former President Donald Trump, which has sparked concerns about his fitness for office.
According to Newsweek, Biden's debate performance was marked by a hoarse voice and occasional mumbling, which raised eyebrows among his supporters. Many of them are now questioning his ability to lead, given his age and perceived lack of vitality.
However, Vance, in an interview with the conservative news outlet Newsmax, lambasted the notion of Biden stepping down. He pointed out the irony of the Democrats, who have accused Republicans of being threats to democracy for four years, now contemplating the removal of Biden from the ballot.
Vance was quoted saying, "It is so interesting that the party that has accused Republicans of being threats to democracy for four years is now trying to pull Joe Biden for the ballot for effectively doing what has been obvious for four years, that the guy just clearly isn't up for the job." He further added, "My attitude is Democrats are stuck with Joe Biden. It would be a massive affront to American democracy for them to have effectively given Democratic primary voters one choice for the entire primary process, and now that he's had a disastrous debate performance, try to pull him. It's impossible. It doesn't make any sense."
Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the former president, concurred with Vance's viewpoint. In a social media post, he wrote, "Democrats forced Joe Biden onto their voters by rigging their primary to block real challengers, but now they want to unilaterally remove Joe as their nominee? Now that sounds like a real attack on American Democracy!"
The clamor for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race began soon after the debate commenced. Progressive commentator Mehdi Hasan, who had previously refrained from commenting on Biden's age and fitness, changed his stance after the debate. He posted, "I have spent months, both on MSNBC and at Zeteo, refusing to obsess over Biden's age and fitness for office. But no longer. Not after tonight's car crash of a 'debate'. It's time for Biden to step aside. The Democrats need to find a new nominee."
Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump administration aide, echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that if Biden truly believes Democracy is at stake, he should step aside and let another Democrat take on Trump.
However, replacing Biden at this stage in the campaign would require him to withdraw from the race. It remains unclear if he could lose the nomination in a contested convention. Biden has secured the majority of Democratic delegates during the primary season and is set to be confirmed as the party's 2024 nominee at the Democratic National Committee in Chicago in August.
Despite the growing concerns, high-profile Democrats continue to back Biden. Vice President Kamala Harris, while acknowledging Biden's "slow start" in the debate, emphasized that the election should be decided on his presidential record, not a 90-minute debate. She stated, "What we saw tonight was the president making a very clear contrast with Donald Trump on all the issues that matter to the American people. Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish. What became very clear over the course of the night is that Joe Biden is fighting on behalf of the American people on substance, on policy, on performance."
As the political landscape continues to evolve, the question remains whether Biden will heed the calls for his withdrawal or continue to fight for his place in the 2024 presidential race.
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