Rep. Doggett is the first Democrat in Congress to call on Biden to withdraw
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
A Texas lawmaker is now the first and so far only Democratic member of Congress openly calling for President Joe Biden to leave the 2024 presidential race. Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas has been in Congress since 1995, and he joins us now. Good morning, Congressman. Thanks for being on the program.
LLOYD DOGGETT: Thanks, so good to join you.
FADEL: So why do you want Biden to withdraw?
DOGGETT: We have a criminal and his gang who are about to take over our government. We've got to do everything we possibly can to prevent Donald Trump from becoming the new authoritarian strongman in our country. All the values, the issues that I care about, from reproductive freedom to combating the climate crisis to his efforts to destroy public education, are on the line. President Biden has some significant accomplishments. I've supported him throughout, but he has not convinced the American people. He's lagged behind our Senate candidates, and what we hope would add momentum only would widen the gap. I don't believe...
FADEL: So are you saying that you don't think he can beat Donald Trump?
DOGGETT: I think that he is far behind and that we have to put our best possibility forward instead of putting forward the same person that so many people - some called the double haters - have rejected. We need to add some enthusiasm and excitement in our campaign. Yesterday, while I was the only person to call for him to step aside, in Washington state, in Maine, I had colleagues who said Donald Trump will win. There's much of that thinking out there that's difficult to overcome, and there is a great consternation across the country, I believe, from the people I've heard from...
FADEL: Right.
DOGGETT: ...That we could lose not only the presidency, but the House and the Senate.
FADEL: Congressman...
DOGGETT: This is not the time to take that kind of chance.
FADEL: I want to get a sense of how representative your opinion is in the party. I mean, the party leadership is rallying around the president right now. Are you in the minority here?
DOGGETT: I think there are people that don't agree with me from the conversations that I had on the floor of Congress the morning after the election and some of the conversations that I've had since then. I think the concerns I'm voicing are widespread. I'm a member who's been in Congress for a while, as you noted. I'm not starting my career. I'm not a vulnerable member in this election, so I'm able to step forward and speak out about what I think is so critical for our country in ways that perhaps some other people have not, but I certainly have not gotten any discouragement from within the leadership of the party.
FADEL: What do you say to Democrats who might say now isn't the time to withdraw support from Biden because it could help Donald Trump, his opponent, contrary to what you're saying?
DOGGETT: You know, that's the very concern that caused me to not speak out about this earlier. I wish this had been resolved earlier. President Biden said he would be a transitional figure. He's had some transformational accomplishments. But he's worked now for a year, and he's not been able to close the gap, and he made that gap wider after this debate, raising real questions in the minds of so many Americans as to his capability to govern the country now and over the next four years. I just say don't take that chance. And I don't want to do anything to diminish his chances of success. If he is our nominee, he certainly will have my backing. It just will be a heavy lift for me and for many candidates who, I believe, across the country will begin to distance themselves from the president because they fear being dragged down by the problems that he's having.
FADEL: That's Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Democrat from Texas. Thank you for being on the program.
DOGGETT: Thanks so much.
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