Michigan governor rejects calls for Biden’s replacement
Biden and Trump clash in historic presidential debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump clashed in a historic presidential debate. Here are five takeaways.
Following his disastrous performance at the CNN presidential debate in Atlanta on Thursday, critics and supporters alike called for President Joe Biden to withdraw his candidacy and let another candidate run as the Democratic nominee.
Yet the face of such a movement – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer – is among those rejecting calls for Biden’s replacement and urging Democrats to stick with their presumptive presidential nominee. Despite calls to “recruit Gretch,” as her voters affectionately call her, she is standing by Biden – at least for now.
“If we want to protect our fundamental freedoms and our democracy, we must re-elect @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris,” she posted on X, formerly Twitter.
According to an exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll, more than 40 percent of Democrats said the Democratic Party should replace Biden as its presidential candidate, including 37 percent of those who said they would vote for him.
For some, Whitmer is a tantalizing choice: She served two terms as Democratic governor in a swing state and has survived attacks from the right over her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and a kidnapping plot. As co-chair of Biden’s national campaign, she has taken the lead on Biden’s reelection campaign in a key swing state. Her memoir, “True Gretch: What I Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between,” will be released on July 9.
But at least for now, Whitmer’s run for president in 2024 seems unlikely. In May, she penned an editorial in the Detroit Free Press urging voters to re-elect Biden, and has maintained that stance since the debate. Whitmer’s spokespeople have also maintained their full support for Biden.
More: Biden’s rocky performance in the debate leads to new calls for Whitmer to intervene
“Joe Biden is our nominee and the governor is proud to endorse him,” Helen Hare, a spokeswoman for the Whitmer PAC, which supports the president’s re-election campaign, told the Detroit Free Press in an email.
Maya Homan is USA TODAY’s 2024 election reporter, focusing on Georgia politics. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @MayaHoman.
Thousands of travellers in distress after WestJet mechanics strike leads to flight cancellations
John Simm returns in top form
Mylan and CVS avoid class action lawsuit over EpiPen usury allegations
About The Author
