nfluential Democrat Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) is changing his tune.
On Tuesday morning, the House Judiciary Committee member announced he is supporting President Joe Biden despite earlier concerns he may lose to Donald Trump.
Asked directly if he wanted Biden to drop out, Nadler replied in the negative. Asked if his change in heart was a “pragmatic consideration,” the congressman said “Well, yeah. He [Biden] said he’s gonna remain in, he’s our candidate, and we’re all going to support him.”
“Well that kind of leaves you with no choice then, I take it?” inquired the reporter.
“Well, yes,” acknowledged Nadler. “As the president said, something like 90% of Democrats voted for him in the primaries, he won the nomination.”
Nadler also said “Whether or not I have concerns is besides the point. He is going to be our nominee and we all have to support him.
Over the weekend, Rep. Nadler, Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Don Beyer, (D-Va.) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) reportedly expressed during a virtual meeting hosted by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on July 7 that Biden should exit the presidential race as the Democratic nominee on Sunday. A majority of them said Harris should be the nominee, according to Fox News.
On Monday, Biden informed colleagues that he would not bow out of the race according to a letter sent to Congressional Democrats.
“I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump,” the president wrote in the letter.
Biden posted the letter himself to his X account.
“We had a Democratic nomination process and the voters have spoken clearly and decisively. I received over 14 million votes, 87% of the votes cast across the entire nominating process. I have nearly 3,900 delegates, making me the presumptive nominee of our party by a wide margin,” Biden’s letter read in part.
Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D) was the first Democrat lawmaker to publicly call on Biden to step down.
“I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.”
Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) also called on “As an elected leader, I feel a responsibility to be honest about what I believe, even when it’s hard to hear. President Biden is a good man & I appreciate his lifetime of service. But I believe he should step aside for the next generation of leadership. The stakes are too high.”
