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Top Democrat who's called for Biden to drop out reveals he had 'concerns' BEFORE the debate and insists 'nothing' will change his mind... as another colleague demands Joe is replaced
Top Democrat Adam Smith told DailyMail.com Tuesday that he'd had concerns about Biden's cognitive ability based on personal interactions before the debate.
But last month's 90-minute face-off with Donald Trump 'crystallized' his belief that Biden was no longer suited for the office.
'Ultimately this is Joe Biden's decision,' Smith said.
'Joe Biden is the presumptive nominee. He's not the nominee.I'm going to keep making this case because of how strongly I feel about it. long as that is the case.'
But the top Armed Services Committee Democrat insisted the onus is on President Biden to avoid disaster for Democrats in November by stepping aside as a convention challenge would be too 'divisive' to work.
'A [convention] challenge would be a pointless, divisive exercise in my book,' he went on.
His comments came as Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., became the seventh House Democrat to go on-the-record and call on Biden to drop out - even as party leaders insist he will be their nominee.
'Because I know President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country, I am asking that he declare that he won’t run for reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee,' Sherrill said in a statement.
Top Democrat Adam Smith insisted the onus is on President Biden to avoid disaster for Democrats in November by stepping aside as a convention challenge would be too 'divisive' to work
Smith is one of seven congressional Democrats who broke rank and publicly called on the president to step aside from the 2024 nomination after the disastrous debate where he at one point claimed to 'finally beat Medicare.'
Two others made such opinions known on a call with House Democrats that leaked out to reporters.
'The concerns that I had had leading up to that were significantly elevated by the debate elevated to the point where I became convinced that we would be better off [without him],' Smith said.
The typically united House Democrats now find themselves in the disarray Republicans often face.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., became the seventh House Democrat to go on-the-record and call on Biden to drop out - even as party leaders insist he will be their nominee.
The top Armed Services Committee Democrat told DailyMail.com that he'd had concerns about Biden's cognitive ability based on personal interactions before the debate
Last month's 90-minute face-off with Donald Trump 'crystallized' his belief that Biden was no longer suited for the office
Some remain behind Biden, believing the roadblocks to replacing him are too great to take on. Others have turned up the heat on the president, without directly calling on him to drop out in public.
'While President Biden has made clear he feels he is the best candidate to win this election, nothing that has happened over the past twelve days suggests that voters see things the same way,' Rep. Lori Trahan, Mass., a member of House Democratic leadership said in a statement on Tuesday.
Smith, meanwhile, said it was 'unlikely' anything Biden could say would change his mind.
'I think what would have been helpful in the immediate aftermath of the debate was in a doctor, do a full transparent you know, healthcare, full check, release that information publicly. Because then you come out and do an hour long press conference saying, hey, you know, a lot of things happen brain fog hit me bad time. I'm good. Let's go. I think that that would have been helpful. First, they didn't do it. Several days passed.'
But Biden has gained an unlikely alliance with the far left. Progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar have declared they are 'all-in' for Biden.
On Monday, the White House sought to reassure reporters that Biden's bill of health is fine, despite the president getting multiple visits by a neurologist from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
'My team does everything that we can to make sure that we get the answers to you,' Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. 'To say that I'm holding information or to allude to anything else is really, really unfair.'
She said Biden 'has seen a neurologist three times – not more than that' as part of his ordinary annual physical but would not describe the White House visits, gleaned from visitor logs, citing privacy rules and thousands of personnel who get treated at the White House.
The president further sought to shore up support by calling into a Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) meeting Monday night on Capitol Hill as his support among black voters wanes.
The first elected Democrat to break ranks with Biden was Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett.
On July 2, just five days after Biden's disastrous CNN debate performance, Doggett released a statement calling on the president to withdraw from the race.
Doggett, a veteran Democrat who has served since 1995, wrote how Biden pledged to be a 'transitional' candidate, saying that the president has fulfilled his promise and should end his bid.
A day later on July 3, Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona told the New York Times he too believes Joe Biden should drop out of the race.
'If he's the candidate, I'm going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere,' Grijalva said.
'What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race.'
The next day Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton also called on Biden to withdraw.
'President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding father, George Washington's footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump,' he told local outlet WBUR.
On July 5, Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois went on MSNBC - one of the president's favorite networks - to call on Biden to withdraw.
Additionally, on July 6, Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig posted on X she wants Biden out too.
'President Biden is a good man & I appreciate his lifetime of service,' she wrote. 'But I believe he should step aside for the next generation of leadership. The stakes are too high.'
Then, on a private among some House Democrats on Sunday, the dam protecting Biden as the presumptive nominee cracked further.
Democrat Reps. Mark Takano of California, Jerry Nadler and Joe Morelle of New York, and Adam Smith of Washington all expressed on the conference how they want to see Biden step aside.
On Monday, Smith called on Biden to step aside.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., both have insisted they will stay behind Biden.