Former Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., pushed back Thursday on members of her party calling for President Joe Biden to quit the presidential race, saying, "Spare me your five minutes of fame."
The retired four-term senator took exception with Democrats lining up to pile on Biden in the aftermath of last week's debate performance, saying in an interview that Biden deserves the "chance to pick himself up," The Hill reported.
"I disagree with these members who are coming on TV for their five minutes of fame and pushing out a man who has been one of the greatest presidents since FDR," Boxer told CNN on Thursday.
Three House Democrats so far have publicly called on Biden to drop out of the race. Boxer herself acknowledged "something was off" in Biden's debate with Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump last week.
However, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times published Wednesday, Boxer said Biden has "has done it, time and time again."
"Can he do it one more time? I don't know the answer. But out of respect and admiration for what he's done, let's give him the time to do it," she told the Times. "And if he can't, he can't, and there will be someone else."
Boxer, 83, was a bit more adamant in Biden's favor on Thursday.
"Please spare me your five minutes of fame," Boxer said. "Give this man a chance to pick himself up. He's done it so many times."
For his part, Biden told Democrat governors in a meeting at the White House on Wednesday that he needs more sleep and less work at night, including no events after 8 p.m., The New York Times reported Thursday.
"President [George W.] Bush went to bed at 9, and President [Barack] Obama made dinner at 6:30," Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement. "Normal presidents strike a balance, and so does Joe Biden."
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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