Biden’s Reelection Bid Faces Growing Pressure as Manchin Calls for New Nominee

WASHINGTON — The controversy surrounding President Joe Biden’s bid for reelection continued on Sunday, with a fifth senator urging him to step aside and allow Democrats to select a new nominee through an “open process.” The Biden campaign acknowledged “differing opinions” but maintained that the party would unite to defeat Republican Donald Trump.

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, an independent who had considered a presidential run this year and often diverged from his party’s leadership as a Democrat, was the latest member of Congress to suggest Biden focus on his remaining months in office. This comes as the 81-year-old incumbent prepares to resume campaigning this week after isolating at his Delaware beach home with COVID-19.

“I came to the decision with a heavy heart that I think it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation,” Manchin said in a series of Sunday news show interviews.

Nearly three dozen Democrats in Congress have expressed their support for Biden to withdraw from the race. Four Democratic senators — Peter Welch of Vermont, Jon Tester of Montana, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sherrod Brown of Ohio — have publicly stated that Biden should step down.

Biden’s performance in a recent debate has raised concerns about his ability to mount a compelling campaign against Trump. However, the president’s team has affirmed Biden’s commitment to winning a second term and has emphasized that the campaign is designed to secure victory even in a close election.

“Unlike Republicans, we’re a party that accepts – and even celebrates – differing opinions, but in the end, we will absolutely come together to beat Donald Trump this November,” Biden campaign spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said.

Manchin expressed confidence in Biden’s ability to fulfill his term but voiced concerns about the toll of a campaign.

“I’m concerned about the president’s health and well-being I really am,” said Manchin, who became an independent in May after serving as a Democrat for years. He is not seeking re-election to the Senate.

Biden has stated his readiness to resume campaigning this week and address what he describes as a “dark vision” presented by Trump. Biden has maintained his belief that he can defeat Trump in a rematch from 2020 and has been meeting with family and close advisors as he resists efforts to sideline him.

Nevertheless, Manchin believes Biden should pave the way for other Democrats and dedicate the remainder of his term to being “the president he always wanted to be, be able to unite the country, bring it back together” and focus on the war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Manchin believes this would ultimately involve “being able to show the rest of the world the orderly transfer of power from the superpower of the world.”

He also asserted, “I truly believe the Democratic Party needs an open process” in selecting a new nominee. Manchin emphasized that he was not seeking to replace Vice President Kamala Harris. “A healthy competition is what it’s all about,” Manchin said.

Manchin, himself a former governor, suggested, “I think that we have a lot of talent on the bench, a lot of good people, and I’m partial to governors, because a governor can’t afford to be partial. They can’t afford to be partisan strictly, because that pothole or that bridge doesn’t have a D or an R on it.”

He specifically mentioned Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania who, he said, “haven’t divided their state. They haven’t made you pick a side and demonize the other side. They have brought people together. This is what an open process would do, I think. It would bring more people out in a process that could bring Democrats like me back.”

However, the Democratic National Committee’s rulemaking body is proceeding with plans for a virtual roll call before Aug. 7 to nominate the presidential candidate, ahead of the party’s convention later that month in Chicago.

Some of the president’s supporters on the news shows defended him against calls for his withdrawal. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., argued that Biden enjoys a coalition of support that includes African American women, blue-collar workers and older people who voted for him in the primary.

“If he feels bullied out, those voters are going to be feeling that they were bullied out,” Khanna said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also cautioned that an attempt to replace Biden at the top of the ticket could face legal challenges, given that approximately 14 million people had voted for him in Democratic primaries nationwide.

“It would be wrong, and I think unlawful, in accordance to some of these states’ rules for a handful of people to go in a back room and switch it out because they don’t like the candidate any longer. That’s not how this is supposed to work,” he said.

Manchin appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” ABC’s “This Week” and CBS’ “Face the Nation.” Khanna was on ABC, and Johnson appeared on ABC and CNN.