Angie Craig Calls For Biden To Step Down: Here's Why That's Big

EAGAN, MN — Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig is the first House Democrat from a battleground district to call for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.

"Given what I saw and heard from the President during last week’s debate in Atlanta, coupled with the lack of a forceful response from the President himself following that debate, I do not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump," Craig said in a statement on Saturday.

"This is not a decision I’ve come to lightly, but there is simply too much at stake to risk a second Donald Trump presidency. That’s why I respectfully call on President Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee for a second term as President and allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward."

Craig's extraordinary statement comes after Biden's first debate with Donald Trump, which sparked major concerns about the president's age and mental acuity.

Politico called Craig's remarks "particularly striking" because she is running for reelection in a swing district that voted for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020.

Only four other House Democrats have called for Biden to step down so far, and they're all from deeply progressive districts: Reps. Mike Quigley (Illinois), Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Raúl Grijalva (Arizona), and Seth Moulton (Massachusetts).

Democratic strategists and donors are reportedly concerned that Biden’s disastrous debate performance will negatively impact Democratic candidates running for Congress this year.

Minnesota has played an interesting role in Biden's path to the White House:

Minnesota voters helped hand Biden the Democratic nomination in 2020. But Minnesota's Rep. Dean Phillips was the only Democrat to challenge the president in the 2024 primary.

With Craig's statement on Saturday, she may inspire other Democrats from competitive districts to make similar calls on the president.