Mayor Gordo, Congressman Schiff Call on Biden to Drop Out of Presidential Race

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo became the first American Mayor to publicly call on Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race.

“It’s clear that the American people want another candidate at the top of the Democratic ticket,” Mayor Victor Gordo said in a statement first released to POLITICO. “Now, the American people want, and need, real change. I hope the President will meet this moment and heed this call.”

Calls for Biden to step aside have been increasing since his debate performance against Donald Trump last month.

Nearly two dozen house Democrats have called for him to leave the race, including Rep. Adam Schiff, (D-Pasadena.

Schiff on Wednesday cited “serious concerns” that Biden can defeat Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump.

Biden “has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history, and his lifetime of service as a senator, a vice president, and now as president has made our country better, Schiff told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.

“But our nation is at a crossroads. A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the president can defeat Donald Trump in November,” Schiff said.

Biden has repeatedly refused calls to step down, insisting that he plans to stay in the race and win in November.

Although there have been concerns raised about Biden’s age, so far no one has gone a step further and questioned his ability to lead the nation. 

On Wednesday, CNN reported that Nancy Pelosi also told him he could not win in November.

It is not known if Vice President Kamala Harris would lead the party if Biden steps down. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s name has also been mentioned. 

The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, when the party is scheduled to officially nominate its presidential candidate.

The Democratic National Committee has decided to hold a virtual roll call vote to formally nominate Biden sometime in the first week of August, according to multiple media reports, which cited a letter sent Wednesday by the heads of the convention rules committee.