The Congressional Black Caucus and its Chair, Steven Horsford (D-Nevada), have thrown their support behind President Joe Biden as he navigates a particularly difficult time in his re-election campaign. The Democratic incumbent has faced several calls to either step down or resign from the race as fears of a cognitive decline have dogged him since the June 27 debate on CNN.
According to NBC News, Horsford’s statement, which he released on social media, is a significant boon to Biden as he seemingly fights his party to remain on the ballot as the Democratic nominee. “President Joe Biden is the nominee and has been selected by millions of voters across the country, including voters here
in Nevada,” Horsford said. He then added that Nevadans “care about a thriving and equitable economy, taking on big corporations to lower costs and protecting the hard-fought freedoms, rights and opportunities we’ve earned.”Horsford continued, “They know President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting for them. Like me, they don’t want to see Donald Trump back in the White House and are ready to work and VOTE to ensure that doesn’t happen,” Horsford continued. “We’re not going back, we’re moving forward.”
According to NBC News, on a private call between leaders of several Democratic committees, four senior Democrats called for Biden
to exit the race. In contrast, others voiced concern over Biden’s ability to defeat Trump in November. On the same call, two former chairwomen of the CBC, California Democrats Rep. Maxine Waters and Rep. Barbara Lee, defended Biden “forcefully,” according to sources who were familiar with the discussion on the call.Rep. Fredericka Wilson, also a member of the CBC but not on the call, issued her statement regarding Biden’s campaign. “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris defeated Donald Trump in 2020, and they are the Democratic ticket that will do so again this year. Any ‘leader’ calling for President Biden to drop out needs to get their priorities straight and stop undermining this incredible actual leader who has delivered real results for our country.”
Wilson continued,
“What Democrats need to be doing is stop listening to these political pundits and focus on what’s at stake this election: our democracy. End of story. I stand with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and so should all Americans.”According to NBC News, it is notable that none of the Democrats who have been calling for Biden to leave the race since his debate performance are Black Democrats, despite his much-discussed flagging support from Black voters. Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), who was on the call and is the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, offered his perspective during an appearance on MSNBC.
“The president has done a great job. I think the only reason we’re having this conversation is one horrible debate. That’s what he had. He had one horrible debate. The president has led, continues to lead, and the leadership that he has provided has brought the world, the democratic world closer together, to make us all safer together than we would be if we were doing this by ourselves,” Meeks said. “That is what the authoritarians hope — that we would be divided. The leadership of Joe Biden has prevented that from happening.”