U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton said Wednesday he has “grave concerns” with President Joe Biden’s ability to defeat former President Donald Trump in November, but the Salem Democrat stopped short of calling for the president to step aside and let someone else run for the White House.
Moulton, who represents much of the North Shore, is the latest Democrat to express dismay after Biden’s damaging debate performance last week sent his party into a panic and the president scrambling to reassure supporters that he is the right man to take on Trump.
Beating Trump is “imperative for the future of our democracy,” especially after the Supreme Court handed the former president a “blank check to act like a king,” Moulton said.
“Winning will require prosecuting the case in the media, in town halls, and at campaign stops all over the country. President Biden needs to demonstrate that he can do that,” Moulton said in a statement. “The unfortunate reality is that the status quo will likely deliver us President Trump.”
Other Massachusetts Democrats, including two sitting state lawmakers, have called on Biden to give up his reelection campaign and allow someone else to take up the party’s fight against Trump.
The state’s congressional delegation has so far only offered warnings and advice for the president.
“[Biden] needs to consult with fellow elected officials and with public opinion research to determine if he is the strongest candidate to defeat Donald Trump in November, which is the unifying imperative for the Democratic Party,” U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss said in an interview with GBH News.
Moulton’s and Auchincloss’ comments came the same day Biden invited governors from the across the country, including Gov. Maura Healey, to the White House in an effort to convince them that he can take on Trump.
More than 20 Democratic governors joined the meeting Wednesday and many of them said they were going to continue to back Biden after the “candid” conversation.
Democratic Governors Association Chair Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota said governors “have his back and we’re working together just to make very, very clear on that.”
“A path to victory in November is the number one priority, and that’s the number one priority of the president,” he said after the meeting.