President Joe Biden has announced he will not seek reelection in 2024, a decision that has sparked immediate calls for his resignation from Republican lawmakers. They argue that if he is deemed unfit to run for president, he is equally unfit to continue serving as president.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., issued a statement calling for Biden’s immediate resignation, saying, “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.”
Echoing similar sentiments, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., asserted, “If the Democrat party has deemed Joe Biden unfit to run for re-election, he’s certainly unfit to control our nuclear codes.” He added, “Biden must step down from office immediately.”
House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., further amplified the Republican chorus, stating, “If Joe Biden can’t run for re-election, he is unable and unfit to serve as President of the United States. He must immediately resign. The Democrat Party is in absolute free fall for their blatantly corrupt and desperate attempt to cover up the fact that Joe Biden is unfit for office.”
Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., echoed the sentiment, saying, “If Joe Biden is unfit to be the Democrat nominee for president, he’s unfit to be president for the rest of his term. For the good of the country, Joe Biden should resign immediately.”
These calls for Biden’s resignation stem from mounting pressure he faced to drop out of the 2024 race following his widely criticized performance in a recent debate against former President Trump. His performance raised concerns about his mental and physical capacity to run a campaign and serve another term.
Biden acknowledged these concerns in his public letter announcing his decision, stating, “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
While some Democrats have advocated for Biden to step aside from the race, they remain confident in his ability to complete his current term. Their arguments against his candidacy largely center around the distraction his fitness for office presents to the campaign, as well as concerns about his ability to serve four years down the line.
However, Republicans, who have long questioned Biden’s mental fitness for office, have seized on this announcement as vindication of their doubts.
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., chair of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, said in a statement, “If Joe Biden is no longer capable of running for re-election, he is no longer capable of serving as President. Being President is the hardest job in the world, and I no longer have confidence that Joe Biden can effectively execute his duties as Commander-in-Chief. It is out of concern for our country’s national security that I am formally calling on President Biden to resign from office.”
Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, expressed his sentiment succinctly on X, tweeting, “If this man CAN’T run for President with an election in just 4 months then who’s running our country?”
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., echoed this concern, writing, “Doesn’t have the mental acuity or cognitive ability to run a political campaign but can serve for 6 more months as president? He should resign.”
