“The conversation should focus on the record of this administration, as an alternative to his election and letting Joe Biden continue to make his own decisions about his future,” said Clyburn, a staunch ally of the president. “He earned that right, and I’m going to give him that much respect.”
The comments came a day after Biden took part in a high-profile news conference that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) earlier this week did not directly tell Biden to step down, but subtly reframed the debate. He indicated that despite Biden’s insistence, the matter of his candidacy remains unresolved.
“It is up to the President to decide whether he is going to contest. We all encourage him to make that decision because time is running out,” Pelosi said.
In the two weeks since Biden’s poor performance in the first general election debate raised concerns about the president’s mental acuity, health and endurance, at least 20 Democratic lawmakers have called on him to step aside as the party’s nominee. But Clyburn said his caucus’s focus should be on getting the Biden-Harris ticket re-elected.
“If he later decides to change his mind, we will respond to that,” Clyburn said. “We have until August 19 to open our conference. So I hope we’ll spend our time now focusing on the record we’re putting out for the American people.
As he approaches 84, Clyburn admits that he is physically no longer the man he was four years ago. But despite concerns about his acuity, Biden still “understands what this country is about. He knows what democracy is.
Clyburn is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus – An important block With nearly 60 House Democrats split on whether to publicly embrace the president, some black House Democrats have begun to express private concerns about Biden’s choice and the potential downstream effects on vulnerable lawmakers running in swing districts.
Asked if he would back Vice President Harris if Biden stepped down, he reiterated his full support: “Absolutely!”
