SAN DIEGO — Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, joined a growing group of Democrats Thursday calling on President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race.
Peters released a statement moments after Biden concluded a high-stakes briefing with reporters at the NATO Conference in Washington, D.C., which the White House had characterized as a "big-boy press conference" that would assuage fears about his age and mental acuity that arose after the president appeared to lack energy and lose his train of thought during the presidential debate on June 27.
"The nation owes an enormous debt of gratitude to President Biden for saving us from a second term of a Trump Presidency in 2020 and for leading with his huge heart and a steady hand in challenging times," Peters' statement said. "His debate performance did not diminish his remarkable accomplishments and record of service. It's now clear, however, that the president's record of accomplishments will not translate into similar success in his reelection campaign.
"After a long primary process, we were on track to lose coming into the debate. The debate raised real concern among elected leaders, supporters, and voters that the president will not be able to wage a winning campaign. This was not a blip. And while the Biden campaign claims the post-debate national polls remain relatively unchanged, polling in the swing states has worsened alarmingly.
"Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign. The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course. My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and to democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the president and those around him," Peters continued.
"We must find a candidate from our deep bench of talent who can defeat Donald Trump. That means fielding a ticket that can win in the swing states where Democrats are not dominant but where this election will be decided. The candidate must be selected through a fair and transparent process, and then, when we leave our convention next month in Chicago, we must rally together and fight like hell. I hope all Democrats will join me in putting the country first, preserving the progress of the past four years, and solidifying Joe Biden's legacy as one of the great leaders of our time -- by defeating Donald Trump."
As he has in multiple appearances since the debate, Biden dug in Thursday on his determination to stay in the race.
"I'm not in this for my legacy. I'm in this to complete the job I started," Biden said.
"... My schedule has been full bore. So if I slow down and I can't get the job done, that's a sign that I shouldn't be doing it. But there's no indication of that yet -- none," he insisted.
Several Democratic members of the House and one Democratic U.S. senator -- Peter Welch of Vermont -- have called on Biden to withdraw.
On Wednesday, major Democratic Party donor George Clooney said the president needs to step aside amid concerns about his age and ability to run the country, citing what he implied were signs of decline he witnessed from Biden during a record-setting Los Angeles fundraiser Clooney co-hosted for Biden with former President Barack Obama on June 15.
Peters, 66, is a former San Diego City Councilman who has represented the area in the House of Representatives since 2013. He is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of 100 centrist Democrats in the House.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, a Democrat, is still backing Biden. Gloria posted on Tuesday on social media that "The President met with @DemMayors tonight to share his vision for a second term. His agenda for cities, families and workers is solid -- and far better than Donald Trump's scary Project 2025. Mayors have @JoeBiden's back and we'll help reelect him and @KamalaHarris this fall."
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