The Democrats' senator Peter Welch believes that Joe Biden should withdraw from the presidential election.
The pressure on the US President is increasing, and a press conference on Thursday may be decisive.
"We cannot ignore President Biden's catastrophic debate performance. We cannot ignore the legitimate questions that have been raised since that evening," Welch writes in a debate article in The Washington Post.
The Vermont senator is the first and so far the only one of the Democrats' senators to explicitly urge Biden to end his re-election bid. His colleague and party friend, Senator Michael Bennet, said the other day that Biden risks a "crushing" defeat if he runs against Trump.
On Thursday, Biden will hold a press conference and answer journalists' questions in connection with the NATO summit in Washington, an event that political analysts believe may be decisive for the 81-year-old's political future, according to the AP news agency.
Same message from Clooney
The move by Senator Peter Welch comes shortly after Hollywood star George Clooney gave Biden the same advice via a text in The New York Times.
The actor, producer, and director held a large fundraiser in Hollywood for Biden just a week ago – one of many he has hosted for the Democrats' benefit – and describes how the President is not the person he was in 2010.
"He wasn't even the 2020 Joe Biden," writes Clooney.
"He was the same man we all witnessed during the debate," he continues, referring to the sitting President's TV debate against Donald Trump last week.
Pelosi: Up to him
A handful of Democratic members of the House of Representatives have previously urged President Biden to withdraw.
Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker and one of the party's heavyweights, said on Wednesday that only Biden himself can decide whether to continue or not.
We encourage him to make the decision, for time is running out, Pelosi told MSNBC without wanting to reveal where she stands on the issue.
Biden has rejected all demands for his resignation and announced that he still sees himself as the most qualified candidate.
In addition to Democratic Senator Peter Welch, nine members of the House of Representatives have said they want Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign.
Four senators, Michael Bennet, Patty Murray, Jon Tester, and Sheldon Whitehouse, have expressed concerns about Biden's candidacy.
Source: The New York Times
