First Democratic senator calls for Biden to drop out of the race

• Sen. Peter Welch called on President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 election.
• Welch is the first Senate Democrat to publicly urge Biden to end his reelection bid.
• Eight House Democrats have called on Biden to quit since he gave a disastrous first debate performance.

Sen. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, called on President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 election in a Wednesday Washington Post op-ed, becoming the first Senate Democrat to publicly urge Biden to end his reelection campaign.

Welch cited Biden's "disastrous debate performance" and the "valid questions" people have about the president's fitness for office at 81 years old.

"I understand why President Biden wants to run. He saved us from Donald Trump once and wants to do it again," Welch wrote. "But he needs to reassess whether he is the best candidate to do so. In my view, he is not."

Eight House Democrats have already called on Biden to drop out.

Business Insider reached out to the Biden campaign and Welch's office for comment.

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