Republicans go on offense as Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown dodges questions about Biden

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown has stayed quiet about President Joe Biden's fitness for office as Democrats publicly and privately debate whether Biden should remain at the top of the ticket.

Now, Brown's opponent is making it a campaign issue.

Republican businessman Bernie Moreno held a news conference Wednesday blasting Brown for his silence on whether Biden should remain in the presidential race. Biden fumbled over his words and lost his train of thought during his first debate with former President Donald Trump, raising questions about whether he should serve another four-year term.

"(Brown) interacts with Joe Biden on a regular basis," Moreno said. "He's the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. He's a very important member of the United States Senate. He knows that. Anybody who watched that debate a couple Thursdays ago saw a man in decline, a person who should not be in public office."

CNN and Axios reported Tuesday that Brown privately said he doesn't believe Biden can win in November ? a stark contrast from how he's addressed the issue publicly.

The three-term senator sidestepped the issue in Youngstown earlier this week and wouldn't answer additional questions during a call with reporters on Wednesday. A campaign spokeswoman declined to comment on the media reports and Moreno's news conference.

"I've talked to people across Ohio. They have legitimate questions about whether the president should continue," Brown said Wednesday. "But I'm on this call to talk about my work for Ohio."

Biden debate puts Sherrod Brown in tough spot

The debate over Biden's future underscores the tightrope Brown is walking as he seeks a fourth term in office.

Brown is one of two Democratic senators seeking reelection in a state won by Trump in 2020, making his race one of the most competitive in the country. His campaign largely avoids presidential politics, and Biden isn't expected to spend much time in Ohio ahead of the November election.

But an increasing number of Democrats have raised concerns about the presidential race, including another vulnerable senator: Democrat Jon Tester of Montana.

In Ohio, Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Cincinnati, said "time is running out" for Biden to make his case to voters. Former Congressman Tim Ryan, who ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, called on the president to step aside and let Vice President Kamala Harris take the wheel.

Republicans in Ohio and nationally appear eager to use the turmoil to their advantage. The Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund went after Brown on Wednesday for "telling Ohioans one thing Monday and his DC cronies another thing Tuesday." The group and one of its partners plan to spend over $80 million in the Ohio Senate race this fall, Politico reported.

"What you're seeing and what we're living through is probably the greatest political cover-up in American history," Moreno said. "Makes Watergate look like nothing."

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Republicans blast Sherrod Brown for silence after Biden-Trump debate