The first Senate Democrat has publicly revealed that he does not believe President Biden will win re-election, warning of a potential red wave in November.
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., confirmed reports that he told colleagues Biden would not win against former President Trump in November, just hours after lawmakers met on Capitol Hill for the first time since the first presidential debate of this year.
“This race is on a trajectory that is very worrisome,” Bennet told CNN on Tuesday. “Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election, and maybe win it by a landslide and take with it the Senate and the House.”
Biden is facing increased calls from members within his own party to step down as the Democratic nominee after his performance at the first presidential debate raised concerns over his health and mental fitness for the job.
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Sen. Michael Bennet asks questions during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on May 12, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)
“So, for me, this isn’t a question about polling. It’s not a question about politics. It’s a moral question about the future of our country,” Bennet said.
Bennet said voters have “deep concerns” about Biden’s candidacy, and given the high stakes of the election, there are ongoing conversations regarding whether the president should remain the nominee.
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“We should be having a discussion about that. The White House, in the time since that disastrous debate, I think, has done nothing to really demonstrate that they have a plan to win this election,” Bennet said.
President Biden participates in the debate against former President Trump at CNN’s studios in Atlanta on June 27, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images)
Vulnerable Democratic Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, reportedly also voiced to their colleagues in a closed-door meeting that they weren’t confident in Biden’s general election success, Axios first reported.
Fox News Digital asked Tester on Capitol Hill whether the report was true, but he did not answer questions from reporters.
Former President Trump speaks during a rally at Greenbrier Farms on June 28, 2024, in Chesapeake, Virginia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Bennet is the first Senate Democrat to publicly call on the president to reconsider his re-election bid, but joins seven House Democrats who said Biden should step down as the nominee following the presidential debate.
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The House Democrats who officially called on the president to withdraw from the race are Reps. Mike Quigley from Illinois, Seth Moulton from Massachusetts., Lloyd Doggett from Texas, Angie Craig from Minnesota, Raul Grijalva from Arizona, Adam Smith from Washington, and Mikie Sherrill from New Jersey.
Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
