In a USA Today opinion piece, actress Ashley Judd voiced her concerns about Joe Biden’s candidacy. Following Biden’s underwhelming performance in last month’s debate, Judd urged him to withdraw from the race, citing worries that he might not be able to defeat the presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, in the upcoming November election.
This comes after George Clooney, a major donor for Biden, urged the President to withdraw from the presidential race on Wednesday in an op-ed of his own.
“As I listened to one of my dearest people share some of those beliefs and thoughts, it hurt. I was shaken. My body felt like it was on fire,” Judd wrote on Friday. “The words activated in me profound alarm in the aftermath of the recent debate at which President Joe Biden, a deeply decent man, was incapable of countering Trump, while he, unchecked, gushed a firehose of galling lies.”
“I do not necessarily think all Trump supporters believe, feel, act and speak like this. I know Donald Trump himself does. That is critical. That is why I have come to realize that my private, personal belief is one I should no longer just keep to myself.”
“And so, I now ask President Joe Biden to step aside,” Judd wrote.
The actress and political activist is well-known for her roles in both film and television. Beyond acting, Judd has supported the Democrat Party and has been vocal about her stances on issues like women’s rights, reproductive rights, and social justice.
She continued, “The defense of our cherished rights and freedoms, the moral imperative that we do better by more people, and our bodies, cannot be left to voters who see and are frightened of the consequences of President Biden’s obvious limitations, or who are now not going to vote. We take the risk of an off night and minimize the warning signs at our gravest peril.”
“Thus, because of the very real hurt millions of people would feel when he is president again, the Democratic Party must not delay in thanking President Biden and supporting a talented, robust Democrat to be our party’s nominee. We do not have another day for distraction or division among ourselves.”
“Some in Washington may want to wait for the next week, the next press conference, the next network interview. Here, where I sit in rural Tennessee, it is clear that Americans have already made up their minds against President Biden, on top of the majority who love to vote for Donald Trump.”
Judd finished, “My folks are not bad people, despite what you may now think of them. They are facing bad options. We must give them a different choice from our Democratic Party for president of the United States.”
With the 2024 elections on the horizon, Democrats are facing a pressing need to unify and reinvigorate its base. Biden’s campaign has been facing a challenging July fundraising period, with more and more major donors expressing their doubts about his ability to secure a victory in November.
Biden’s Thursday night speech did not notably deepen Democrats’ worries about his ability to lead – but the presser did not stop further calls for him to step aside on Friday.
(VOTE NOW: Is Biden Mentally Unfit To Serve As President?)
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