(NewsNation) — As President Joe Biden campaigned in Pennsylvania on Sunday, House Democrats in public and private discussed the possibility of Biden leaving the race, while one Senate Democrat canceled a talk with colleagues before it was even scheduled.
Several high-ranking House Democrats told Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries they’d prefer to see President Joe Biden withdraw from the presidential race, sources familiar with the Sunday call told NewsNation.
While most said they would support Vice President Kamala Harris to take over the race, others didn’t name anyone specific to head the Democratic ticket.
More House Democrats want Biden out
NewsNation has learned of four lawmakers who called for Biden to step down: Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., Mark Takano, D-Calif., and Joe Morelle, D-N.Y.
“They were part of the general sentiment that we need to do something else,” a source told The Hill, which first reported the names of the four senior House Democrats.
NewsNation has also learned that Smith, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, plans to issue a statement Monday sharing his thoughts about Biden’s future.
At least five other House Democrats have publicly called on the president to leave the race: Reps. Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Mike Quigley (Ill.), Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.), Seth Moulton (Mass.) and Angie Craig (Minn.).
One senior House Democrat also told NewsNation that at least four female House Democrats are “strongly considering” calling on Biden to step aside. The member said that could happen after a House Democratic meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
Warner scraps plans for private senators’ meeting
Meanwhile, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., will not be holding a private meeting with colleagues to talk about the ticket. A source familiar with Warner’s thinking tells NewsNation there never was a scheduled meeting, only talk about holding one. That source says all talk of a meeting ended Sunday night because Warner was very unhappy that the idea leaked to reporters.
The source says, that if any Senate Democrats want to talk about Biden’s future, it would happen at the regular caucus lunch scheduled for Tuesday. The source said Warner strongly believes there needs to be a discussion about Biden and the future of the Democratic ticket.
Biden campaigns, has busy days ahead
Biden spent Sunday campaigning in the vital battleground state of Pennsylvania, attending a church service in Philadelphia and a rally in Harrisburg.
“People need to be reminded of what he is, what he has done in the past and what he’s capable of,” said one woman at the church event.
“Regardless of his age, the man is about justice, about liberty, about the law … and he has experience. Experience is the best teacher in the world,” another churchgoer added.
Biden has a busy schedule ahead, including the NATO summit in Washington starting Tuesday. He’ll participate in a Thursday news conference at the summit – his first encounter with a group of reporters since the debate with former President Donald Trump that prompted the calls for Biden to step down.
Biden will travel to Austin, Texas on Monday, July 15 for a speech at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library to mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. July 15 is also the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Biden caps the week with speeches in Las Vegas at the NAACP National Convention and the UnidosUS conference, one of the largest gatherings of Latinos in the U.S.
Biden’s defenders stay vocal
While he listened to colleagues call on Biden to quit the race, Jeffries has said he wants the president to remain the Democratic candidate. Two other top House members, James Clyburn of South Carolina and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have expressed confidence in Biden.
But Pelosi told MSNBC last week that it is “legitimate” to ask both Biden and Trump “is this an episode, or is this a condition?”
Sen. John Fetterman campaigned with Biden Sunday in Pennsylvania, telling the crowd in Harrisburg “Yes, of course he’s my guy. He’s going to kick Trump’s *** in the election.”
Also, Democratic strategist Dmitri Mehlhorn, a close associate of LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, said he’s backing Biden. “Joe Biden is our nominee. He is our best chance of beating Trump. The public campaign to oust him does no good. And it needs to end as quickly as possible,” Mehlhorn told NewsNation.
