California Democrat Adam Schiff Calls On Biden to Drop Out of Presidential Race

Updated 2:51 p.m. Wednesday

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) is calling on President Joe Biden to end his reelection campaign, becoming the most high-profile California Democrat to do so.

In a written statement on Wednesday, Schiff called Biden “one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history” but said it was “time for him to pass the torch.”

The push is significant coming from Schiff, who is almost certain to be the next senator from California and is closely allied with influential former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He is facing Republican Steve Garvey for the U.S. Senate seat that was long held by the late Dianne Feinstein.

“Our nation is at a crossroads,” Schiff said. “A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November.”

The call to step aside by Schiff, who has close ties to other Democratic Party leaders, indicates that despite the president’s insistence that he’s not dropping out, the debate over Biden’s future is still roiling the party. On Wednesday, the Democratic National Committee announced it would push back a controversial virtual roll call to nominate Biden by a week. That voting was set to begin as soon as next week; instead, it will begin the first week of August – still ahead of the convention, which starts Aug. 19.

Schiff is just the latest elected Democrat in California to call for Biden to withdraw. Pelosi raised questions last week about whether Biden should stay in but stopped short of calling for him to drop out.

According to an AP poll released Wednesday, 65% of Democrats nationwide think Biden should drop out.

Schiff said the decision is up to the president alone but said withdrawing would help Biden “secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.”

Still, Schiff said he will work to elect whomever Democrats nominate next month.

“But make no mistake, whoever our party ends up nominating, or if the nomination remains with the president, I will do everything I can to help them succeed. There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high,” Schiff said.