U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, speaks with members of the media on Oct. 6, 2023. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
Vermont’s own Peter Welch has become the first Democrat in the U.S. Senate to publicly call for President Joe Biden to end his campaign for reelection.
In an opinion piece published Wednesday night by the Washington Post, Welch argued that Biden’s “disastrous debate performance” two weeks earlier had made clear that he was not the right Democrat to take on former Republican President Donald Trump in November.
“For the good of the country, I’m calling on President Biden to withdraw from the race,” Welch wrote.
In an interview with VTDigger later Wednesday, the senator said his decision “really reflects what I’ve been hearing from Vermonters.”
“Everybody is absolutely terrified about another Trump presidency,” Welch said. “We can’t have another Donald Trump administration. That’s what I’ve been hearing from Vermonters. They’re right. And it’s not the elites. It’s everyday people.”
And though they want “somebody who can carry on the Biden agenda,” Welch said, they don’t believe Biden himself is best positioned to do so. That’s because his recent debate performance, Welch said, made clear that “the effects of age that await all of us have arrived on President Biden.”
Welch acknowledged that “there’s a risk of changing” presidential candidates just four months before the election but said “there’s a risk of staying with the present candidate.”
“My judgment is the lesser risk is going with the new candidate, with all the uncertainty that that involves,” he said. “And the reason I have confidence in that is all the people who have been mentioned as potential candidates fully embrace the Biden agenda.”
Welch would not say who he thought should replace Biden on the ticket.
“I think Democrats should determine that,” he said. “We can have a process where really qualified people present their case. You know, we’ve got time — and I believe we should have an open process and allow participation so everyday Democrats can help determine who will be our nominee.”
This story will be updated.
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