House lawmaker says more Democrats will call for Biden's exit

Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., said Monday he believes there will be more Democrats this week speaking out against President Joe Biden's reelection campaign.

"I know individuals that I've talked to who've been processing this, thinking about it, talking to their constituents, most importantly looking at polls," Quigley told CNN. "It's going to be an amazing, unfortunately horrible week. But I do think the numbers will grow. I don't know how the president will react to that."

Quigley is one of five House Democrats to publicly call for Biden to exit the 2024 presidential race against former President and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.

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The Illinois Democrat pointed to recent polls that show Biden lagging farther behind Trump since his rocky debate performance in June. Quigley called this moment "painful" for Democrats and did not say who he would like to see as nominee instead.

"I don't think anyone understands what the blueprint is, because nothing else can move forward unless and until President Biden makes that choice," Quigley said. "You know, I have people all the time saying, 'Who would you be for?' We're just not there yet."

Quigley said perceptions are "ruling" here and that Biden's appearance during the debate as well as a recent high-stakes interview with ABC did nothing to quell concerns.

"He looks very frail. His voice is very soft, it's not robust," Quigley told CNN.

"And again, what I would stress to the president is this isn't just about you. It's not about loyalty, it's about being pragmatic," he added, pointing to the battle for the White House as well as control of the House. "Every vote counts so the top of the ticket is essential that it be very strong, and again, we're going in the opposite direction. The president has to respect that."

Quigley said Monday his mind does not need changing.

"I think we have to be honest with ourselves," he said, "the situation is not getting better. Frankly, it's getting worse."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House Democrat said more lawmakers will call for Biden to exit race