Patty Murray says Biden has to shape up and prove he can win

Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray stopped just short of calling for President Biden to drop out of the presidential race Monday evening, saying he needs to do more to show he can beat former President Donald Trump in November.

“More than a week since the debate, and after talking with my constituents, I believe President Biden must do more to demonstrate he can campaign strong enough to beat Donald Trump,” Ms. Murray, Washington Democrat, said in a statement.

Ms. Murray, a senator since 1993, is third in line to the presidency as president pro tempore and said she has “a deep appreciation and strong respect for Joe,” and called his first term as president “historic.”

“Still, we need to see a much more forceful and energetic candidate on the campaign trail in the very near future in order for him to convince voters he is up to the job,” she said. “At this critical time for our country, President Biden must seriously consider the best way to preserve his incredible legacy and secure it for the future.”

Ms. Murray joins a growing list of Democrats who have become critical of Mr. Biden since his shaky debate performance in Georgia last month.

Six House Democrats have already called on Mr. Biden to step aside and let someone else jump on the Democratic ticket.

While no Senate Democrats have explicitly gone that far, Ms. Murray is the most prominent Democrat in either chamber to raise concerns about Mr. Biden’s viability.

“There is such a case to be prosecuted against Donald Trump — President Biden has to lead the charge in making that case,” Ms. Murray said. “With so much at stake, the American people need to understand what a serious threat a second Trump presidency would be to our democracy, our fundamental freedoms, and their livelihoods.”

However, she said, it’s “just as important [for the] nominee to be able to articulate what Democrats have accomplished and everything we will do to make life better for American families and protect their freedoms.”

Mr. Biden and his team have been adamant that he is staying in the race.

Earlier on Monday, he said “the voters have spoken clearly and decisively,” in the Democratic nomination process.