Rep. Pat Ryan, a New York Democrat running for reelection in a competitive district, in an interview on Wednesday called on President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential election "for the good of the country."
Ryan, a moderate seen as one of the most vulnerable House Democrats this election, told The New York Times in an interview that former President Donald Trump is an "existential threat" to democracy in America and said he no longer believes Biden will be able to beat him in November.
"I'd be doing a grave disservice if I said he was the best candidate to serve this fall," Ryan said. "For the good of our country, for my two young kids, I'm asking Joe Biden to step aside in the upcoming election and deliver on the promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders."
The congressman said his opinion on Biden began to change after viewing his poor performance in his debate against Trump in June and hearing in the days that followed that his constituents were "deeply concerned" about Biden's ability to beat Trump.
"These are the opposite of elites," Ryan said. "These are people eating hot dogs and drinking beer and talking about my Yankees and where the country's at and expressing some pretty deep and weighty things."
The Times notes that Ryan joins seven other congressional legislators who have called on Biden to step aside.
National Republican Congressional Committee deputy communications director Savannah Viar said in a statement that Ryan's comments are "a transparent election-year ploy to try to cling to his seat."
She added, "President Biden is sitting in the Oval Office because Pat Ryan and Democrats hid the truth from voters and lied about the president's condition."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.