Four more Democrats say Biden should step down, VP Harris replace him as presidential nominee — report

Four more Democrats in Congress have said they believe US President Joe Biden should step aside as the party’s nominee for president, according to an NBC report citing sources familiar with a call that took place earlier today.

The lawmakers mentioned in the report, Adam Smith of Washington, Jerry Nadler of New York, Mark Takano of California and Joe Morelle of New York, bring the number of Democrats in Congress calling for Biden to reconsider his bid for president to nearly a dozen, NBC reports.

The virtual meeting of senior Democratic representatives was scheduled by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

There is no comment from the Biden administration or the lawmakers on the report, which comes after the US president’s disastrous debate performance last month and amid a growing clamor from within his own party for him to bow out of the race.

Sources quoted in the NBC report say most of the lawmakers on the call believe that US Vice President Kamala Harris should replace Biden if he exits the race.

For now, Democratic heavyweights are largely keeping a lid on any simmering discontent with their leader — at least in public.

But with election day just four months away, any move to replace Biden as the nominee would need to be made sooner rather than later, and the party will be scrutinized for any signs of more open rebellion.

Agencies contributed to this report.