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Inside the plot to oust ailing Biden as Democrats warn make-or-break ABC interview did little to 'move the needle' and that president should 'buckle up for a wild week ahead'
A Virginia senator is frantically trying to a assemble a group of fellow Democrats to try and oust ailing Biden, according to sources.
Sen. Mark R. Warner is telling people he no longer has confidence in the president due to his faltering performance of late, the Washington Post reports.
Biden's cognitive function has been under intense scrutiny since his car crash presidential debate against Donald Trump last month.
Yesterday, he attempted some damage control with a sit down interview with ABC - a performance that was once again panned by members of his own party.
The floundering has led to calls for Biden to withdraw from the race, but he has so far remained steadfast in his commitment to standing. In looking ahead, a senior Democratic aide told ABC News that the president should 'buckle up for a wild week.'
Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia (pictured) is reportedly telling people he no longer has confidence in the president due to his faltering performance of late
Biden's cognitive function has been under intense scrutiny since his car crash presidential debate against Donald Trump last month and a floundering ABC interview on Friday
His stubborn resolve has many democrats worried, apparently including Warner, who is gathering a group of allies to ask him to stand down, according to two sources.
Warner's spokeswoman, Rachel Cohen, refused to either confirm or deny the plans.
'Like many other people in Washington and across the country, Senator Warner believes these are critical days for the president's campaign, and he has made that clear to the White House,' she said.
Meanwhile, Democrat Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is the minority leader, has scheduled a virtual meeting on Sunday with senior House Democrats to discuss the president's candidacy, senior sources told the New York Times.
The meeting is reportedly due to include the ranking members of congressional committees who have become uneasy about Biden's chances in recent weeks.
Many had hoped that Friday's interview with George Stephanopoulos would be a chance for Biden, 81, to prove himself fit to continue leading.
But the toe-curling performance, which included responding to questions in a raspy voice, losing track mid-sentence and going off on tangents, left many Democrats unconvinced.
Rep. Mike Quigley, Democrat of Illinois, told CNN he found parts of the interview 'disturbing'.
He stated it was clear, 'the president of the United States doesn't have the vigor necessary to overcome the deficit here'.
He also pointed to Biden's response about how he would feel if he lost to Trump.
'He felt as long as he gave it his best effort, that's all that really matters, with the greatest respect: No.'
An anonymous House Democrat told Axios the president 'is toast' in November's election.
Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas was the first to call for Biden to drop out of the race following the debate and reiterated his demand on Friday.
'The need for him to step aside is more urgent tonight than when I first called for it on Tuesday,' he told CNN after the interview.
He added that Mr. Biden 'does not want his legacy to be that he's the one who turned over our country to a tyrant.'
Along with Doggett and Quigley House Reps. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and Seth Moulton of Massachusetts have called for Biden to withdraw.
Before Biden's Friday interview. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey urged the president 'to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump.'
'Whatever President Biden decides, I am committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump,' she added.
Illinois Rep Mike Quigley and Texas Rep Lloyd Doggett renewed their calls for Biden to step down after the ABC interview
Former Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio, told MSNBC he didn't think Biden 'moved the needle at all.'
'I don't think he energized anybody,' he said. 'I think there was a level of him being out of touch with reality on the ground.'
Ryan has also called for Biden to step down, stating he is 'worried.'
'I'm worried, like I think a lot of people are, that he is just not the person to be able to get this done for us.'
Prominent Biden and Democrat donor Mark Buell, similarly expressed concerns about the president's trajectory.
'Biden is on a slide that he is trying to curb,' he told the New York Times. 'If he isn't successful, he may soon become a verb.'