House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Rep. Jim Clyburn, both prominent Democrats, have raised concerns about President Joe Biden's fitness following his lackluster debate performance. Pelosi stated in an MSNBC interview that it is a legitimate question to wonder if Biden's performance was an isolated incident or indicative of a larger medical issue. Clyburn echoed her sentiments, noting that he would defer to medical experts to assess the situation.
These comments come as Democrats assess the fallout from Biden's debate performance, with polls showing a close race between Biden and his November opponent, former President Donald Trump. A recent CNN poll found Trump leading Biden by 6 points in a head-to-head matchup, unchanged from previous results. The margin of error for the poll was +/- 3.7 percentage points, and it was conducted shortly after the debate, capturing immediate reactions from respondents.
Despite these concerns, both Pelosi and Clyburn reiterated their support for Biden and expressed hope for a Biden-Harris ticket in the upcoming election. However, their comments mark a departure from the largely supportive stance of high-profile Democrats, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett becoming the first to call on Biden to withdraw from the race. Doggett cited Biden's commitment to the country and urged him to make a "painful and difficult decision" to step aside.
In response to these calls for withdrawal, a Biden campaign official stated that the president is "staying in" the race. The campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Pelosi and Clyburn's remarks. Meanwhile, other Democrats, including Adam Frisch, have echoed Doggett's sentiments, calling for Biden to prioritize the country's best interests and withdraw from the race. The situation remains fluid as Democrats grapple with the implications of Biden's debate performance and the upcoming election.