Three Democratic congressmen have joined calls for US President Joe Biden to withdraw as the Democratic Party candidate for the November presidential elections, after he held a press conference on Thursday night in which he tried to defend his suitability for re-election and assured that he “will continue forward”, although the day was marked by two important lapses.

During a press conference this Thursday, Biden introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” and at the beginning of his press conference he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.”

After these two new lapses, the representative Jim Himes, from Connecticutwho is the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, has argued that Biden should make the decision to suspend his campaign so as not to risk his legacy, as he indicated through a statement published on his profile on the social network X.

“Biden’s record of public service is unrivaled. His accomplishments are immense. His legacy as a great president is assured. He must not risk that legacy, those achievements and American democracy to fight back against the horrors promised by Donald Trump,” he said.

Himes has noted that “the 2024 elections will define the future of American democracy” and, therefore, The political party must “put forward the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by the MAGA authoritarianism promised by Trump.”in reference to the slogan ‘Make America Great Again’.

“I no longer believe he is Joe Biden and I hope that, as he has done throughout his life of public service, he will continue to put our nation first and, as he promised, usher in a new generation of leaders,” he concluded.

The other two congressmen who have expressed themselves in this sense are Scott Peters of California and Eric Sorensen of Illinois. Peters said the nation “owes Biden a huge debt of gratitude” for saving them from a second Trump presidency in 2020 and for leading with his big heart and steady hand in difficult times.

“His performance in the debate did not diminish his remarkable achievements and record of service. However, now It is clear that the president’s record of achievements will not translate into similar success in his re-election campaign.“The debate has generated real concern among elected leaders, their supporters and voters that the president will not be able to run a winning campaign,” the statement said, recognizing that “the debate has generated real concern among elected leaders, their supporters and voters that the president will not be able to run a winning campaign.”

Peters has said that this is “not a blip” because although the Biden campaign has claimed that the post-debate polls remain relatively unchanged, the polls “in the swing states have worsened alarmingly.” For this reason, he has called on Biden to withdraw from the campaign, arguing that “there is too much at stake.”

“My conscience demands that I speak out and put loyalty to the country and democracy before my great affection and loyalty to the president and those around him. We must find a candidate from our deep pool of talent who can defeat Donald Trump. “That means putting forward a candidate who can win in the swing states where Democrats are not dominant but where this election will be decided,” he explained.

On the other hand, Sorensen has stated that in 2020 “Biden ran for president with the purpose of putting country before party” and that “today” he asks him “to do it again.” “I believe that our best days are yet to come. And I am hopeful that Biden will step aside in his campaign for the Presidency“, he indicated through his profile on the social network X.

“It is more important than ever that our neighbors have a candidate for president who communicates a positive vision for every person in this country. Someone who can demonstrate the strength and wisdom necessary to guide us through the worst storms. A leader who will confront the current threats to democracy,” he explained.

Calls for Joe Biden to drop out of the race have already spread beyond the Democratic Party and have even reached Hollywood, where George Clooney has also called for him to withdraw. “We are not going to win in November with this president”the actor said.