Biden’s poor debate performance will drag down House Democrats, NRCC chair says

The chairman of the House Republicans’ campaign arm said President Biden was always the ticket to expanding the GOP’s House majority.

Rep. Richard Hudson, of North Carolina, when asked if Mr. Biden’s widely panned debate performance against former President Donald Trump would help GOP House candidates this election cycle, said the president is “unfit to be president.”

“I’ve been saying all along, this is the most unpopular president running for reelection in American history. He’s a drag on House Democrats,” the chairman of the NRCC told reporters.

“The American people saw last night [he’s unfit for office] … so I would be asking House Democrats, are you going to admit today that your president’s not fit for office?”

Mr. Hudson, when asked if he was concerned that Democrats would switch out Mr. Biden for a more formidable nominee, said he didn’t know how they would “skirt the democratic process.”

“Also, I think it’s very curious that no one’s talking about Kamala Harris,” he said. “They’re all talking about alternatives to the African American female incumbent vice president who will be next in line.”

Rep. Marcus Molinaro, New York Republican who represents a swing district, told reporters that Democrats are planning to replace Mr. Biden in an effort to save down-ballot Democrats.

“I think there is now a coordinated effort among Democrats to replace Joe Biden. They might be able to attempt to distance themselves from the president, but they certainly can’t distance themselves from the policies of the last four years,” he said.

“What the American people saw last night is what many Democrats thought and felt privately, and now we’re witnessing this coordinated political equivalent of a drive-by shooting that they are engaged in this effort to both distance themselves and then ultimately throw the president under the bus.”

House Democrats have acknowledged Mr. Biden had a rough debate night when he faced off against Mr. Trump, failing to communicate several of his responses in a lucid manner, feeding into accusations that he is not cognitively fit for the job.

However, they stood by the president, brushed off any calls to replace him and denied he was a drag on Democrats at the bottom of November’s ticket.

“He had a poor performance,” said Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. Mr. Clyburn added that he thinks Mr. Biden can serve another four years and urged the president to “stay the course.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Mr. Biden would not hurt the Democrats’ goal of recapturing the House, but offered a lukewarm endorsement when asked if he thought Mr. Biden was the most effective person to communicate the party’s agenda.

“I’m going to reserve comment about anything relative to where we are at this moment other than to say I stand behind the ticket. I stand behind the Senate Democratic majority,” he said. “And of course, we’re going to do everything that we need to do as House Democrats to win.”