Connecticut Democratic Senator Christopher S. Murphy said Sunday that President Biden’s first televised interview since his disastrous debate did not assuage deep concerns about his age and mental acuity, and that the president has more work to do to convince voters. Perfect for running for re-election and winning.
“Voters have questions,” said Mr. Murphy said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
He added: “Personally, I love Joe Biden, and I don’t think Friday night’s interview was enough to answer those questions. This week will be absolutely crucial. I think the president should do more.
Mr. Murphy, Mr. He said he was urging Biden to “hold a town hall, hold a press conference — show the country that he’s still the old Joe Biden.”
Mr. “I know there are a lot of voters who believe Thursday night’s debate show was a bad night,” he said, avoiding directly answering whether Biden should step aside.
Mr. The carefully measured comments from Murphy were the first public alarm bells for Senate Democrats, who had been largely silent since the debate a week ago, but Mr. The party’s nominee is more concerned about Biden’s ability. Minority Leader Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Mr. Biden was set to meet with top Democrats later Sunday to discuss his candidacy, and it came at a time when some members of the chamber had already publicly called out the president. to set aside.
As he heads back to Washington for an important week, Mr. Murphy’s comments reflect: Before revealing anything overt, Mr. Invite him to do so. But former President Donald J. They also know there is no way, at this point, to prove to voters that he is not too old for the task of defeating Trump.
Mr. Biden said he thought he could still beat Mr. Trump. Murphy said. But, he added, “the president must answer the voters’ questions.” Mr. During the Murphy interview, in “unscripted” conversations with voters, Mr. Biden repeatedly insisted he had to prove himself “this week.”
“They need to see more from the president, and hopefully we’ll see that this week,” he said.
Senator’s Message, Mr. It seemed intended to alert the president and those around him to take a negative stance in response to genuine questions about Biden’s candidacy. Rejecting calls by many Democrats for him to step aside, the president declared that only divine intervention could force him to withdraw from the race.
“There are still questions,” Mr. Murphy said. “The clock is ringing.”
Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine who works with Democrats, echoed the news in a statement issued through a spokeswoman. Mr. King said the president “hopes to take every opportunity in the coming days to continue his campaign and work for the presidency through unscripted interviews and direct communications with voters,” spokesman Matthew Felling said Sunday. “Only through a public process like this can he demonstrate that Thursday is a good night, and that his past ability to define problems and seek common-sense solutions remains undiminished.”
Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said last week that Mr. Biden has publicly expressed concern about how honest the campaign has been about his position, but he has stopped short of calling on him to step down. Senator Peter Welch of Vermont warned that if the Democratic presidential nominee loses badly in November, it will be a “severe blow” to Democratic and Senate candidates.
Senator Mark Warner, D-Virginia, convened Democratic senators this week to discuss the path forward and Mr. Biden is set to discuss their concerns about his continued candidacy. Mr. Warner has privately expressed doubts about the president’s debate performance and whether he can win re-election from the race.
Katie Edmondson Contributed report.
