President Joe Biden's performance during the presidential debate Thursday night sparked calls from some in his own party for a new Democratic candidate to step up before Election Day in November.
The president took the debate stage for the first time in the 2024 election cycle against former President Donald Trump. Both are the presumptive presidential nominees for their respective parties this fall.
Critics of Biden, 81, have raised several concerns over his age and cognitive ability to serve another term in the White House if reelected. His supporters have repeatedly dismissed such criticism, and a Biden aide late Thursday night told Newsweek that the president was battling a cold during the debate.
The president, however, faced questions from a handful of progressives following the first half of Thursday's event.
"Guys, the Dems should nominate someone else - before it's too late," Andrew Yang, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, wrote to X, formerly Twitter. Yang added the hashtag, "#swapJoeout"
"I wish Biden would reflect on this debate performance and then announce his decision to withdraw from the race, throwing the choice of Democratic nominee to the convention," posted Nicholas Kristof, journalist and Democrat.
Kristof also offered up several names, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown or Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, who he said "could still jump in and beat Trump."
Progressive politician Cenk Uygur, who previously ran for California's 25th Congressional District, said his talk show, The Young Turks, plans to "start talking about who should replace Biden" following Thursday's debate.
"Because at this point it's obvious that it definitely MUST happen," he added.
Questions were also raised by accounts like Republicans Against Trump, which asked its X followers, "Should Democrats replace Biden with another candidate at the convention?"
Geraldo Rivera, a self-described Republican who is a frequent critic of Trump, also wrote to X, "God love him, but what will President Biden be like a couple years down the road? He loses his train of thought, stumbles and mumbles."
"Then he surfaces with a flash of spunk and grit," Rivera added. "But is the tentative, rocky performance we are watching a reflection of his mental state?"
The Hill reported earlier this week that several Democratic lawmakers denied there were discussions about a potential "plan B" candidate to replace Biden. Senator Dick Durbin told the outlet that such speculation was "bizarre."
"I've heard no credible plan B, and I'm not counting on a plan B," added Senator Richard Blumenthal.
Update 06/27/24, 11:52 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.
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Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
