Peter Welch became the first Democratic senator to openly call for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the re-election campaign, citing Biden's "poor" performance in a debate against leading Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Representing Vermont, Welch wrote in an op-ed published in The Washington Post on Wednesday that while he holds "great respect" for Biden, he cannot overlook the President's performance in the debate.
"We cannot ignore President Biden's poor debate performance. The legitimate questions raised since that night cannot be ignored or underestimated," Welch wrote in the article.
Welch stated that Biden needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to defeat Trump, calling Trump a "criminal" and a "pathological liar."
He pointed out that Biden has already united the Democratic Party and created a strong coalition capable of defeating Trump while expressing support for Vice President Kamala Harris, who is seen as a potential replacement to run for President instead of Biden.
Welch is the first Democratic senator to openly call for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. His remarks were made after Biden's widely scrutinized debate performance in June, which raised concerns about the President's mental state.
Welch's article was published amid growing speculation about Biden's ability to oppose Trump. Actor George Clooney, who raised a record amount of funds for Biden's campaign in June, also called for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, citing similar concerns about the 46th President's mental state.
