Lloyd Doggett is the first sitting Democratic member of Congress to call on Biden to withdraw candidacy

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) has urged President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race following a poor performance at last week's debate, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to publicly do so.

Doggett, a House member since 1995, expressed disappointment in Biden's performance during the debate, noting that the President failed to seize the opportunity:

"President Biden has continued to run substantially behind Democratic senators in key states and in most polls has trailed Donald Trump. I had hoped that the debate would provide some momentum to change that. It did not. Instead of reassuring voters, the President failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump's many lies."

He added that Biden should follow the footsteps of Lyndon Johnson, who once held the seat he Doggett represents, and withdraw. Johnson renounced his candidacy for a second term in office back in 1968

Doggett praised Biden's legislative achievements but suggested it is time for new leadership in the Democratic Party, especially one that is in better position to take on "an authoritarian takeover by a criminal and his gang," in reference to Donald Trump.

"Too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory—too great a risk to assume that what could not be turned around in a year, what was not turned around in the debate, can be turned around now, the Congressman explained.

Veteran Democratic leaders, including former President Obama, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Rep. James Clyburn, have expressed support for Biden. However, there are discussions among Democratic lawmakers about the possibility of Biden stepping aside. An anonymous House Democrat told The Hill that many in the caucus believe it is time for Biden to step down:

"We all were hanging out this morning, a bunch of us together at something. There's nobody at this point that I spoke with who doesn't think it's time for him to step aside."

A CBS News/YouGov survey taken this weekend revealed that three quarters of the electorate have question about President Biden's cognitive health after seeing the debate while a focus group of undecided voters hosted by Frank Luntz during the debate said President Joe Biden should be replaced as the Democratic candidate following his performance