Schiff calls on Biden to step down, citing ‘serious concerns’

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), who is running for U.S. Senate in California, is calling on President Biden to drop out of the presidential race, he said in an exclusive statement to The Times on Wednesday.

Schiff, who is heavily favored to win the Senate race, cited “serious concerns” about Biden’s ability to beat former President Trump in November.

He is the latest Democrat to call on his own party’s incumbent president to end his campaign, amid growing concerns about Biden’s age and mental fitness for the job – which began in earnest after a disastrous debate performance last month in which Biden appeared confused at times.

In his statement, Schiff said Biden “has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation’s history, and his lifetime of service as senator, vice president and now as president has made our country a better place.”

“But our country is at a crossroads,” he said. “A second Trump presidency would undermine the very foundations of our democracy, and I am very concerned about the president’s ability to defeat Donald Trump in November.”

Schiff said that “the choice to step down from the campaign is solely President Biden’s,” but that he believes it is time for Biden to “pass the torch” and “secure his legacy of leadership” by allowing another Democrat to defeat Trump.

Schiff also said he would fully support whoever ends up at the top of the Democratic ticket — even if Biden remains the nominee.

“I will do everything I can to help them succeed,” Schiff said. “There is only one goal: to defeat Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high.”

Schiff is running for the Senate seat that was long held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, and is currently held by Sen. Laphonza Butler, appointed by Newsom to finish Feinstein’s term after her death in September.

Schiff, who has been a prominent critic of Trump and played a leading role in congressional efforts to impeach him, is expected to win the race in November. He will face Steve Garvey, a retired Dodgers All-Star and Republican, after beating other leading Democratic candidates for the seat in a closely contested primary earlier this year.