In a surprising move, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat from Texas, has called for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Doggett cited Biden's poor debate performance and consistently trailing behind Donald Trump in surveys as reasons for his call to action.

Representing a blue district in Austin, Texas, Doggett is the first sitting Democrat in Congress to openly express these concerns, although numerous Democrats have privately shared similar sentiments or suggested anonymously that Biden should step aside. At 77 years old, Doggett has served in Congress since 1995 and now urges President Biden to make a difficult but necessary decision.

Drawing parallels to former President Lyndon Johnson, who withdrew in different circumstances, Doggett emphasized that the risk of a Trump victory is too great and could lead to an authoritarian takeover by a criminal and his supporters. He urged Biden not to deliver the country back into the hands of Trump, stating, "President Biden saved our democracy by delivering us from Trump in 2020. He must not deliver us to Trump in 2024."

It remains uncertain if other Democratic lawmakers will follow Doggett's lead, as the president and his team have affirmed Biden's commitment to staying in the race and becoming the party's nominee. They point to supportive statements from prominent Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who stand behind Biden's candidacy.

While acknowledging Biden's achievements as president, stating that he has accomplished much both domestically and internationally, Doggett believes that Biden's role was envisioned as transitional and that he now has an opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders. This, Doggett argues, would allow for an open and democratic process to select a nominee who can unite the country.

Doggett also highlighted Biden's lackluster performance in the debates and his continuous trailing behind Democratic senators in key states and in most polls when compared to Trump. The recent Supreme Court ruling providing immunity to the president has added a sense of urgency, according to Doggett, as it could potentially enable Trump to usher in an unchecked authoritarian era.

After Doggett's call, Democratic candidate Adam Frisch, running in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, also called on Biden to exit the race, stating that neither Biden nor Trump should be running for president. Furthermore, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, who clashed with Biden during the 2020 primary campaign, echoed this sentiment, suggesting that there are stronger Democratic candidates available, including Vice President Kamala Harris.

Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, one of five House Democrats representing a Trump district, wrote an opinion piece expressing his belief that Donald Trump will win the election and stating that democracy will survive under his presidency.

As the debate among Democrats intensifies, the question of whether Biden will remain in the race or heed the calls to step aside looms over the 2024 presidential election.