President Biden’s recent debate performance has sparked concerns among some Democrats about his fitness to run for re-election in 2024. While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer remains supportive of Biden, two vulnerable Democratic senators, Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown, have expressed concerns about his ability to serve another term.
Tester has stated that Biden needs to prove to him and the country that he can serve four more years. Brown, while not going as far as Tester, has acknowledged hearing concerns from Ohioans about Biden’s fitness.
Schumer’s office has refused to comment on Biden’s debate performance or the concerns it has raised. When asked by Fox News Digital, Schumer’s staff remained silent on whether he believes Biden should be the Democratic nominee, if he has any potential replacement ideas, and his thoughts about the concerns of fellow Democrats about Biden that have been made public. However, Schumer has publicly stated his support for Biden, saying, “I’m with Joe Biden.”
Despite the growing concerns, other Democratic officeholders have been cautious about making their concerns public. Biden himself has pushed back on the worries, writing in a letter to congressional Democrats that “I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024.” He also stated that continued scrutiny of his candidacy would only help Trump.
Senate Democrats are expected to discuss their feelings on Biden’s continued candidacy on Tuesday afternoon during a regularly scheduled policy lunch. Senator Mark Warner, who has expressed a desire to discuss “the strongest path forward” for Democrats in 2024, had initially attempted to gather Democrats for a meeting specifically to address concerns about Biden. However, after these efforts were leaked to the press, the Democrats decided to discuss the issue as an entire caucus instead.
