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By Andrew Stanton
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Representative Jared Huffman, a California Democrat, laid out the timeline for Democrats to finalize their presidential ticket if President Joe Biden chooses to withdraw from the campaign.
Biden has faced calls to exit the presidential race following his performance during the CNN presidential debate against former President Donald Trump on June 27. Biden sounded hoarse and appeared to mumble his way through several answers, doing little to quell concerns about his age. Some Democrats have voiced concerns that he may not be the strongest candidate to face off against Trump in November, arguing an alternative candidate such as Vice President Kamala Harris should replace him.
Huffman, who represents California's 2nd Congressional District, said that Democrats need "course correction" but declined to call on Biden to withdraw during a CNN interview on Thursday.
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"We've got to acknowledge that this was not just one bad night. This is a pretty pervasive and widespread perception that's been dragging President Biden down in the polls for many months. We've got to figure this out. I think we have a couple of weeks to do it, but we've got to do it," Huffman said.
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Huffman added that Democrats should not make the final decision, however, until after the Republican National Convention wraps up in Milwaukee on July 18.
"We probably don't want to finalize our ticket then if that's where we are and give them prime time to beat the heck out of it. I think it would be far better to make our decision right after their spectacle, and then come together and go win this election," Huffman said.
He said the narrative around Biden's age is "pretty well established now" and that "it's going to be pretty difficult for the president to undo it."
Newsweek reached out to Biden's campaign and Huffman's office for comment via email on Thursday.
Biden, however, has resisted calls to exit the race.
His campaign has said that he had a cold on the night of the debate, portraying it as a one-off episode rather than a larger condition, pointing to other appearances in which he seemed more alert. Medical experts have noted that his debate performance was not necessarily a sign of cognitive decline.
This week, Biden has sought to quash concerns from his own party about his age. He is slated for an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Friday that Democrats hope will show Americans he is up for another four years on the job.
Still, two House Democrats, Representatives Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Raul Grijalva of Arizona, have said Biden should withdraw, while others have expressed concerns about the race after the debate.
Two other Democratic lawmakers, Representatives Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, have said they believe Trump will win in November.
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