Actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner has doubled down on his call for Joe Biden to step down from his reelection campaign amid mounting pressure on the president.
As the presumptive 2024 Democratic candidate, Biden is expected to face off against Republican rival Donald Trump at the polls this November. However, the 81-year-old incumbent’s shaky debate performance last month against Trump, 78, has raised doubts about his age and mental acuity.
A number of viewers stated that Biden sounded hoarse and lacked energy during the televised clash hosted by CNN. A Biden aide told Newsweek that the president was battling a cold at the time. Biden blamed his poor execution on failing to “listen” to his staff and instead, deciding “to travel around the world a couple of times” before the debate. At a recent fundraiser in Virginia, Biden, who this week tested positive for COVID-19, told supporters that he “almost fell asleep on stage.”
In the aftermath of the debate, and other gaffes made during speeches, some high profile Democrats are calling for Biden to be replaced by a new candidate.
Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for Politicon;/Mario Tama/Getty Images
George Clooney counted himself among that faction in a July 10 New York Times op-ed titled “I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.” The Oscar winner wrote that while he considers Biden “a friend” and does “believe in him,” Democrats “are not going to win in November with this president.”
Sharing a link to the article on X, formerly Twitter, Reiner echoed that sentiment, writing: “My friend George Clooney has clearly expressed what many of us have been saying. We love and respect Joe Biden. We acknowledge all he has done for our country. But Democracy is facing an existential threat. We need someone younger to fight back. Joe Biden must step aside.”
In another post on the platform on July 17, Reiner reiterated his stance, saying: “The handwriting is on the wall in bold capital letters: It’s time for President Biden, for whom we have nothing but the greatest respect, to save our Democracy by passing the torch to a new generation.”
The handwriting is on the wall in bold capital letters: It’s time for President Biden, for whom we have nothing but the greatest respect, to save our Democracy by passing the torch to a new generation.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) July 17, 2024
As of press time, the post had garnered more than 300,000 views. Newsweek has contacted a representative of Biden via email for comment.
This is not the first time that When Harry Met Sally… director Reiner has spoken about Biden’s debate performance and how it could affect the election.
“Last night’s debate was a disaster for President Biden,” he said in a June 28 X post. “But the choice is still crystal clear: We either can choose a good decent man who cares about his fellow citizens and knows how to govern, or a Convicted Felon who will destroy our Democracy. Not a tough choice.”
On July 7, Reiner, who is a frequent critic of Trump, publicly expressed his desire to see another nominee replace Biden.
“It’s time to stop f****** around,” he wrote on X. “If the Convicted Felon wins, we lose our Democracy. Joe Biden has effectively served US with honor, decency, and dignity. It’s time for Joe Biden to step down.”
Mueller, She Wrote podcaster Allison Gill, a military veteran who worked at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, responded by saying that Reiner’s take was “disappointing,” adding that Biden was “up in swing states since the debate. Regardless, we all have to vote for the Dem no matter who it is.”
“I agree with that,” Reiner responded. “If Biden refuses to step aside, I’m 100% behind him.”
Reiner’s tentative support for Biden as the 2024 Democratic candidate continued on July 9, after the president made an appearance on MSNBC‘s Morning Joe and insisted he was not backing out of the high-stakes race.
“If we see the Joe Biden that appeared on Morning Joe today every day until Nov. 5, he’ll be able to shut up people like me who think he should step aside,” Reiner wrote on X.
Last week, Biden sent a letter to congressional Democrats in which he vowed to remain in the race.
“The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end,” Biden stated. “I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.