REUTERS
WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers were quick to respond to President Biden’s not-so-surprising departure from the 2024 presidential race on Sunday — with some calling on the 81-year-old to also resign from office with roughly four months left on the job.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) was among the first to call for Biden to step down from office, not just the Democratic ticket, given concerns over his mental acuity following his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27.
“Now that Biden has done the right thing for Democrats, will he do the right thing for the country?” Issa said in a post to X.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) agreed, posting to X that “for the good of the country, @JoeBiden should step down and resign.”
“If Joe Biden isn’t capable enough to seek re-election, he’s not capabale [sic] enough to remain serving as our President,” he wrote.
Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) also said that if Biden “is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President.”
“I’m calling on him to resign immediately,” he said. “Democrat Powerbrokers have known for five years how unfit to lead our nation he has been. They, and their media partners, have covered it up and lied about it.”
“Don’t forget: Biden’s terrible record is Kamala Harris’ terrible record,” he added, referencing the vice president and presumed front-runner for the top of the Democratic ticket.
Calls for Biden to resign did not end with Capitol Hill. Several GOP leaders and former Trump administration officials also expressed concerns over the president’s ability to make crucial decisions for the country before Inauguration Day.
“While many Republicans would prefer running against Biden — the president’s decision not to run for reelection is best for our country, despite his hand being forced,” former Trump administration State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on X.
“Now Biden should resign so at least someone capable can make decisions until Jan 25,” she added.
As far as the race is concerned, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said he was unconcerned that a change to the Democratic ticket would hurt Trump’s chances of taking back the White House in November.
“The American ppl are sick & tired of the Biden-Harris open border policies + high cost of living crushing family budgets,” he wrote on X. “A change in candidate doesn’t fool anyone Changing horses midstream isn’t going to stop the bad policies +reckless agenda at the top of the Democrat ticket.”
Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), known for his playful posts to X, took a less serious approach in his response to the news, noting the irony of ice cream lover Biden dropping out on Sunday.
“Today is National Ice Cream Day,” he wrote. “Coincidence? No chance!”