Californian Congressional Members Start Breaking Ranks, Say Biden Should Step Down This Year

Over the past week, multiple Democratic members of Congress have come saying that President Joe Biden needs to step aside in running for President again in 2024. While the GOP has been all for it, Democratic leaders have urged unity following Biden’s disastrous debate performance in late June and subsequent charges of Biden not being cognitively up for the task.

Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) was the first to break ranks on July 2nd in terms of Congressional support. Since then, 11 in total have said that they want Biden to leave the race. The California Democratic delegation, by far the largest in the House, had been pretty firm up until Sunday. Most members had said that they were firmly on Biden’s side, with a few saying more time was needed or outright refusing to say if they supported or didn’t support Biden. The most notable in the latter camp was Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), who actually received some flack for his indecisiveness.

But, on Sunday, that changed, with one California Democrat coming out saying that they would not be supporting Biden running again in 2024: Riverside Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA). This became known during a Zoom meeting late on Sunday with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). During the meeting they said that Biden should leave the race. For Takano, the Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, this came down to concerns about Biden’s electability following the debate.

“It is evident Biden is not the best person to carry the Democratic message,” said Takano on Sunday.

Only a few weeks before, Takano was all in for Biden and even publicly praising him. In a statement made just before the debate made on Biden’s executive order on extending work authorization and legal status of undocumented spouses and children, Takano had said “I applaud President Joe Biden’s bold action that made today’s historic executive order possible. Countless American families across our nation will sleep easier knowing that their loved ones can continue to remain part of the communities they have long lived and contributed to. The President’s leadership stands in stark contrast to the cruel agenda advanced by convicted felon Donald Trump and extreme Congressional Republicans whose immigrant families as political pawns. This executive action is a clear win for 500,000 American families that have been desperately yearning for relief.”

However, like many Democrats, the President’s debate performance and growing concerns over his viability rocked Takano. He hasn’t spoken more on not backing Biden since the Sunday meeting, but the disconnect is evident. On his X account, Takano has not even mentioned Biden despite commenting on the NATO summit currently going on in Washington.

Donors also beginning to back away from Biden

And he won’t be the last. More Democrats are expected to continue to trickle forward this week not supporting Biden to run again in 2024, including several Californian members who haven’t already gone all in for Biden. When it comes to donors, many Californian donors are also calling for a new nominee as well and refusing to throw in more for the Biden-Harris campaign. On Tuesday, this included actor George Clooney, who had just last month helped run a fundraiser for Biden.

“I love Joe Biden,” said Clooney in a New York Times op-ed. “As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. But, during the June 15th fundraiser, he was not the Joe Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.

“Democratic leadership need to ask Biden to voluntarily step aside. We are not going to win in November with this president. We deserve to hear from other politicians such as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Vice President Kamala Harris, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The dam has broken. We can put our heads in the sand and pray for a miracle in November, or we can speak the truth.”

Others noted more discontentment from California Democrats this week.

“More lawmakers and more donors are feeling this way,” explained San Diego area pollster Gale Martin to the Globe. “It’s just Takano right now, but as more and more turn away from Biden and want someone else, we’re going to see more and more from California announce that they won’t go Joe. Especially with not one, but two big names coming out of the state.”

“The real winner right now is Trump and the GOP. They needed a good rebound after the court verdict, and this more than what they asked for. They’re staying quiet and just letting the Democrats have a massive in-fight right now.”

More California Democratic Congressional members are expected to give statements on the matter of supporting Biden soon.