Adam Smith joins calls for Biden to suspend his 2024 candidacy

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) called on President Joe Biden to suspend his re-election campaign as concerns grow within the Democratic base about his ability to defeat former President Donald Trump.

In a statement, Schiff praised Biden’s legacy, calling him “one of the most important presidents in our nation’s history.” His service as senator, vice president and president “made our country better.”

“But our nation is at a crossroads,” he said. “A second Trump presidency would undermine the foundations of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the president can defeat Donald Trump in November.”

Schiff added that the “decision to withdraw from the campaign rests solely with President Biden.” However, the congressman believes it is time for Biden to “pass the torch” and “secure his legacy as a leader” by giving another Democrat the opportunity to step forward and defeat Trump.

“I will do everything I can to help them succeed,” said Schiff, who is running for the Senate seat vacated by the late Senator Dianne Feinstein. “There is only one goal: to defeat Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high.”

Schiff called on Biden to drop out of the race after the congressman reportedly met with donors over the weekend and warned them that Democrats would suffer significant losses in November if Biden remained the party’s presidential nominee.

“I think if he is our candidate, we lose,” Schiff said during the meeting. A person with access to a transcript of a recording of the event told the New York Times“And it may very, very well be that we lose the Senate and lose our chance to take back the House of Representatives.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Schiff is the 20th Democrat in Congress to call on Biden to pass the torch to a new candidate, joining 19 of his colleagues in the House and Senator Peter Welch (D-VT).

The Washington Examiner has reached out to Schiff’s campaign team for comment.