Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) became the first sitting House Democrat to call on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, citing the president’s debate performance against former President Donald Trump last week as a primary reason. 

In a lengthy statement released on Tuesday, the longtime House Democrat commended Biden for his time in office over the last four years, arguing the incumbent helped to rebuild the country after the COVID-19 pandemic and the “years of Trump wreckage.” However, the Texas Democrat lamented Biden’s trailing polling numbers against Trump and said while he hoped the debate would “provide some momentum to change that,” it did not.