Washington — Shortly after Joe Biden announced that he is withdrawing from the November presidential race on Sunday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump demanded that Biden resign from office.
“Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve – And never was!” Trump said in a social media statement that included a new fundraising push.
Trump called Biden “the Worst President, by far, in the History of our Nation,” and said that Biden, “quit the race in COMPLETE DISGRACE!”
House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican lawmakers loyal to Trump echoed Trump’s demands.
“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough,” Johnson said in a statement.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, the fourth-ranking House Republican, added: “If Joe Biden can’t run for reelection, he is unable and unfit to serve as president of the United States. He must immediately resign.”
“If the Democrat party has deemed Joe Biden unfit to run for reelection, he’s certainly unfit to control our nuclear codes. Biden must step down from office immediately,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer the No. 3 Republican in the chamber, said on social media.
Legally, Republican demands for Biden’s resignation have no bearing. The president has the authority to serve the remainder of his term, said Michael Thorning, director of Structural Democracy at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
“There is no constitutional requirement for a president to seek reelection in order to continue serving as president through the succeeding election and inauguration,” he told VOA.
The White House has not responded to VOA’s request for comment regarding the Republican demands.
Democrats heap praise
As of Monday morning, there have been no response from Democratic leaders to Republican calls for Biden to resign. But in response to his withdrawal from the race, they heaped praise on the president’s legislative track record and lifetime of service.
“Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader, but he is a truly amazing human being,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. “His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first.”
In a statement, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Biden “one of the most accomplished and consequential leaders in American history.”
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi who reportedly was one of several lawmakers encouraging Biden to withdraw, called him a “patriotic American who has always put our country first.”
“His legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history,” she said in a statement.
Biden’s decision to withdraw is a reminder “that he’s a patriot of the highest order,” former President Barack Obama said in a statement.
“Joe understands better than anyone the stakes in this election – how everything he has fought for throughout his life, and everything that the Democratic party stands for, will be at risk if we allow Donald Trump back in the White House and give Republicans control of Congress,” Obama added.
Playing politics
Republicans’ demands for Biden’s resignation have added turmoil to American politics following Biden’s announcement that have left the path forward for Democrats uncertain.
They are “playing politics,” Larry Sabato, director of University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, said of the Republicans.
“Common sense tells us that Biden has two full-time jobs right now — being president and running for president,” Sabato told VOA. “Now he’ll have one full-time job, and he’s proven himself to be good at it. He can finish the remaining months and tie up some loose ends — and leave with dignity.”
Biden announced he was withdrawing from the Democratic presidential ticket in a letter to the country that he posted on social media Sunday afternoon. He said although he intended to stand for re-election, he believes “it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
The announcement reversed his decision about staying in the 2024 race amid mounting pressure from Democrats following his weak performance at last month’s debate against Trump.
With Biden stepping aside, the national attention now shifts squarely upon the Democratic Party, and they would do well to put this attention to good use, said William Howell, Sydney Stein professor in American politics at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.
“They should showcase their talent, advertise their vision for the future, and do their very best to change the narrative of this presidential campaign,” he told VOA.
That’s a difficult task amid their opponent pushing a message of Democrats in disarray. Biden has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the new Democratic presidential nominee and said that he will speak more about his decision later this week.
In a statement released hours after Biden’s withdrawal announcement, the White House said that Biden has “spoken to a number of Members of Congress, governors, and supporters, and will continue to engage with key stakeholders tonight and tomorrow.”
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