A coalition of business leaders and philanthropists, led by a former Obama administration official, called on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the race.
Biden's performance in the presidential debate against former President Donald Trump sparked panic among Democrats, many of whom have called on him to exit the race. Biden, 81, sounded hoarse and appeared to mumble through several answers, doing little to quell anxiety among some voters about his age.
On Wednesday, the organization Leadership Now published a letter calling for a new democratic presidential nominee "to protect democracy." The group is led by CEO and co-founder Daniella Ballou-Aares, who served as senior advisor for development to the secretary of state in the Obama administration.
"What we witnessed Thursday night in the presidential debate was deeply concerning. Donald Trump repeatedly lied, preyed on our worst fears and grievances, and refused to commit to accepting the 2024 election results. Unfortunately, President Biden failed to effectively make the case against Trump, and we now fear the risk of a devastating loss in November," the letter reads.
They acknowledged the process of selecting a new Democratic nominee will be "messy" and is "not without risk," but argued that the "stakes are too high not to act."
The group described the prospect of Trump being reelected as an "existential threat to American democracy."
"The world is watching. As we anxiously observe elections in multiple other democracies, our allies and other democracies hope to see us at our best and are deeply concerned when we fail to live up to these high expectations," the letter reads.
Newsweek reached out to the Biden campaign for comment via email.
The organization comprises others who worked for former President Barack Obama, including Michelle Greene, who worked in the U.S. Treasury Department during his administration, and Elissa Doyle, who worked on his transition team in 2009.
Notably, the letter was not signed, and it remains unclear if every member of the organization endorsed it.
Ballou-Aares previously addressed concerns about Biden's age in an interview with Bloomberg following the debate, warning that there are concerns about how his performance could affect Democratic candidates in competitive House and Senate races.
"There's a very significant disconnect between what the campaign is messaging and where our members are," she said. "And I think their messaging is really out of touch with how people have seen the reality of the debate," she said.
As Biden seeks to dispel concerns about his age from his own party, the White House on Tuesday said Biden would speak with congressional leaders later this week, give an interview to ABC's George Stephanopoulos, and hold a press conference in the coming days.
Biden has thus far resisted calls to remove himself from the presidential race. Most high-profile Democrats have publicly rallied behind Biden, but some reports suggest there have been private concerns. CNN reported on Tuesday that several Democratic governors have communicated concerns about Biden.
It remains unclear how much damage the debate caused. While Democrats have panicked about Biden's performance, polls have been mixed. Some show Trump gaining ground against Biden, but others show minimal changes.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
