Opinion | Joe Biden should step aside now

We are at a critical point in our country’s history. It is not a time to think about which party or which tribe you belong to, but rather what is most important for the future of our country and our children.

On Tuesday, I called for President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election.

The entire country was left stunned during and after last Thursday’s debate. The indelible images and sound bites from that evening will remain with us, repeated in campaign ad after campaign ad, and make it impossible for Biden to win his election. It left people in my district feeling sick to their stomachs. Biden has had fewer and fewer press appearances as his term has proceeded, raising questions about his abilities, and raising fears from the public that our president’s staff has been lying to us about his capabilities.

This decision to speak out is not a referendum on Biden’s accomplishments, nor how good of a person the president is, but rather what the best options for our country should be. I have always said we are going to do the right thing, for the right reasons, in the right way.

There are a lot of people who support Donald Trump, especially in my district, and many of the grievances the former president raises in his campaign ring true for many Americans. However, we need a serious, positive, solutions-based approach to the very serious issues our communities face. In my mind, anyone who spends time quibbling about his golf handicap instead of answering questions about how to make life better for all Americans should be disqualified from the presidency. It’s time for a new generation of leaders to take the reins.

For years, Republican insiders have privately expressed grave concerns about Trump yet sing his praises publicly. It is frustrating to see that this public-private dichotomy is not a single-party phenomenon but rather is one of the most telling aspects of why people don’t trust either party. This is the furthest thing from bipartisanship that the country wants to see.

Biden ran in 2020 as a transitional leader for the next generation. When he announced a reelection campaign in 2023, I publicly commented that I was one of the 75 percent of the people in the country that was not happy with a rematch. Both parties have deep benches. For the good of our country, it is time we showcase them.

This is President Biden’s moment — and his biggest test. He should put personal ambition aside, and then stand up and announce he will withdraw from consideration. The deep Democratic bench should work to nominate a younger slate. We can then join together to focus on the problems and solutions that are most important to our country.

We must focus on lowering the costs of gas, groceries and health care; securing the border and creating a pathway to citizenship for longtime law-abiding residents; and protecting the rights of women and eliminating government-mandated pregnancies. These are real and pressing problems for Americans and new leadership is needed.