Democratic rep who called on Biden to step aside says press conference didn’t change his mind

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) became the 11th House Democrat to publicly call on President Biden to withdraw from the election and said the president’s press conference Thursday evening didn’t change his mind.

Schneider joined CNN’s Kaitlan Collins after Biden’s press conference and said he thought the president did “a fine job.”

“He showed a command of the issues both domestic and foreign,” the Illinois congressman said, noting it was a “stark contrast” to former President Trump on international policy.

“But the fact is, and as was said earlier, we can’t have a situation where every day we’re holding our breath, whether it’s a press conference, debate or a rally,” Schneider said.

Earlier Thursday, Schneider joined a handful of his Democratic colleagues in the House calling on Biden to step aside and allow someone else to run as the party’s nominee.

He said he was grateful for Biden’s leadership and service but thinks there’s too much at stake with this election for him to remain on the ticket.

Schneider was one of several House Democrats to publicly call on Biden on Thursday alone, exactly two weeks after the president’s poor debate performance sparked widespread panic among Democrats about his ability to win the election and serve another four years.

“I think we’re in a historic moment where the president can pass the torch to the next generation, not only unite the Democratic Party but unite the country,” he said Thursday after Biden’s interview.

“Rather than slog into the finish at the end of the election in November, we can run to the finish, win with a strong mandate and continue this incredible experiment we’ve been working on for 248 years,” Schneider continued.

Like other Democrats calling on the president to step aside, Schneider said Biden can go down in history as one of the country’s greatest presidents if he does so.

“I think he has [the] opportunity to put a capstone on a remarkable career, finishing as one of the greatest presidents we’ve ever had in our nation’s history,” Schneider said.

“I think if he passes the torch and does it successfully, he will go down [as a] historic of figure in the pantheon of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or Franklin Roosevelt,” he continued.