WASHINGTON — Congressman Adam Schiff became the democrat of greatest weight so far in publicly asking the president of the United States, Joe Biden, to end his re-election campaign.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Shiff asked him to “pass the baton.”
Schiff, a key Democrat in Congress, praised Biden but said he doubted the 81-year-old president could defeat Republican rival Donald Trump, whom he called a threat to “the very foundations” of democracy, resuming attacks on the former president after the attack on him.
Protagonist of failed impeachment trial against Trump
The Californian is one of the most influential members of the party. He was chairman of the House intelligence committee when Democrats held the majority in 2019 and rose to prominence as a prosecutor during President Trump’s first impeachment trial.
Schiff also aired the Party concerns about Biden’s health and mental acuityespecially since his dismal performance in a televised debate against Trump in June, in which he repeatedly found himself gaping, confused, and even rambling.
But Biden has insisted that he intends to stay in the race because he is convinced that he is the right person to defeat Trump.
Surveys
Polls predict a very close election, but with Trump in the lead in the main swing states, i.e. those that lean towards one party or the other depending on the candidates.
Schiff called Biden “one of the most consistent presidents in the history” of the country.
But in his view, “a second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundations of our democracy, and I have serious doubts that the president can defeat Donald Trump in November,” he added.
Biden should “secure his legacy” by withdrawing from the race, said Schiff, one of Trump’s fiercest political enemies.
Source: With information from AFP
