Welch becomes first Democratic senator to call on Biden to step aside

Peter Welch connected Wednesday became nan first Democratic legislator to telephone connected President Joe Biden to retreat from nan 2024 race. He wrote successful a Washington Post op-ed that Biden should measurement speech for nan “good of nan country."

That brings nan full to 10 legislature Democrats calling connected Biden to measurement down. Welch’s announcement comes earlier elder Biden advisers are slated to meet pinch Senate Democrats astatine a closed-door luncheon tomorrow. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had invited nan group of Biden advisers successful nan hopes of quelling concerns from wrong nan Democratic caucus.

Welch himself had been openly expressing reservations complete Biden's opinionated atop nan summons since nan president's disastrous statement successful June. But Senate Democrats writ ample had stopped short of calling connected nan president to retreat from nan race, dissimilar immoderate of their House colleagues, who's been slow rolling calls for Biden to driblet retired for days.

Welch is simply a first-term legislator and considered a progressive wrong nan caucus. In nan op-ed, Welch said Biden "is a man of uncommon decency" and "cares profoundly astir our democracy" but that "the latest information makes it clear that nan governmental peril to Democrats is escalating."

"We person asked President Biden to do truthful overmuch for truthful galore for truthful long. ... We request him to put america first, arsenic he has done before," nan portion continued. "I impulse him to do it now."