House Democrats praise Biden’s speech passing the torch

House Democrats Wednesday night praised President Joe Biden for his speech explaining his decision to step aside from the 2024 presidential race.

House Democrats Wednesday night praised President Joe Biden for his speech explaining his decision to step aside from the 2024 presidential race, putting an end to a bitter chapter of Democratic infighting over Biden’s future where many Democratic lawmakers publicly and privately pressured the president to not run for reelection. Biden’s disastrous debate performance on June 27 sent the Democratic Party into a tailspin, where concerns about the president’s mental acuity and the negative impact that could have on down ballot races culminated in 36 House and Senate Democrats publicly calling on Biden to end his presidential campaign. But in the wake of Biden’s heartfelt speech, the consensus among lawmakers was one of gratitude, ready to bury the hatchet. Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, who had called for Biden to step aside, praised the speech, saying “He did a great job of laying out why he did what he did.” Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who at one point told Biden that polling showed that the president cannot defeat Donald Trump and that Biden could destroy Democrats’ chances of winning the House in November if he continues seeking a second term, called Biden’s address on Wednesday, “great.” “I thought it showed his greatness and his goodness,” the California Democrat said.