Sen. Raphael Warnock said Sunday that President Biden should not drop out of the presidential race, comparing Mr. Biden’s debate performance to some of his own sermons that he has wished turned out better.
Asked during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” if the president should drop out, Mr. Warnock, a Baptist pastor, said, “Absolutely not.”
“I can tell you that there have been more than a few Sundays when I wish I had preached a better sermon. But after the sermon was over, it was my job to embody the message, to show up for the people that I serve,” the Georgia Democrat said. “And that’s what Joe Biden has been doing his entire life, his entire life of public service, and over the last four years, he has been showing up for the American people.”
Mr. Warnock listed specific groups of people that he feels Mr. Biden has helped and questioned what groups of everyday Americans former President Donald Trump has made changes for.
“The question this morning is not, ‘What is Joe Biden going to do?’ The question is, ’Who has Donald Trump ever showed up for other than himself and people like himself?’” Mr. Warnock said. “I’m with Joe Biden, and it’s our assignment to make sure that he gets over the finish line come November, not for his sake, but for the country’s sake.”
His comments come after Mr. Biden’s shaky debate performance Thursday night in Georgia. Reports immediately after the debate suggested fear and panic among Democrats about whether Mr. Biden needs to be replaced.
When asked if Vice President Kamala Harris is the next strongest Democrat to take over on the presidential ticket, Mr. Warnock said there’s no use discussing it, since it’s Mr. Biden’s run.
“I think it is quite unhelpful to be imagining about a scenario other than the one that’s in front of us,” he said.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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