Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper says President Biden wants to do right for the country, which means letting someone else lead the ticket into November.
Mr. Hickenlooper, of Colorado, called Mr. Biden “perhaps the greatest president of my lifetime” and said Democrats have a sense of anguish about the elderly incumbent’s predicament as many Americans question his declining abilities.
“Joe Biden has always put the country first. He’s done what’s best for America. … I think he’ll keep doing so,” Mr. Hickenlooper told Reuters on Wednesday. “He’s working towards that.”
Like other Democrats, Mr. Hickenlooper didn’t explicitly call on Mr. Biden to drop out but strongly suggested that was the best course.
“That’s his decision to make, but certainly there’s more and more indications that that would be in the best interests of the country, I think,” the senator said.
Mr. Biden, 81, is isolating at home in Delaware after being diagnosed with COVID-19 during a midweek trip to Las Vegas.
Twenty House Democrats have called on Mr. Biden to drop his bid following his incoherent debate performance on June 27, and party leaders have alerted him to signs he might lose to former President Donald Trump or drag down other Democrats in November.
Mr. Hickenlooper, who ran for president in the 2020 primary, said it’s a difficult time for Democrats.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize how beloved Joe Biden is and what sorrow and anguish people feel that he might not be the candidate. Even people who feel that he should not be the candidate feel a great sense of loss,” Mr. Hickenlooper said. “He’s been one of the greatest presidents, perhaps the greatest president of my lifetime.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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