The New York Times editorial board has made a surprising call for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Following a lackluster debate performance against former President Donald Trump, the board suggested that Biden step aside to allow a stronger candidate to challenge Trump.
The editorial, titled “To Serve His Country, President Biden Should Leave the Race,” criticizes Biden’s debate showing, stating, “The president appeared on Thursday night as the shadow of a great public servant. He struggled to explain what he would accomplish in a second term. He struggled to respond to Mr. Trump’s provocations. He struggled to hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, his failures and his chilling plans. More than once, he struggled to make it to the end of a sentence.”
Despite their critique, the editorial board affirmed their support for Biden over Trump if it comes down to a direct contest. “If the race comes down to a choice between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden, the sitting president would be this board’s unequivocal pick. That is how much of a danger Mr. Trump poses,” they wrote.
However, the board argued that the stakes are too high to rely on Biden, given his recent performance and the threat posed by Trump. “The clearest path for Democrats to defeat a candidate defined by his lies is to deal truthfully with the American public: acknowledge that Mr. Biden can’t continue his race, and create a process to select someone more capable to stand in his place to defeat Mr. Trump in November,” the editorial suggested.
They emphasized the importance of this decision for the future of the country, writing, “It is the best chance to protect the soul of the nation — the cause that drew Mr. Biden to run for the presidency in 2019 — from the malign warping of Mr. Trump. And it is the best service that Mr. Biden can provide to a country that he has nobly served for so long.”
