Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) has taken aim at the Biden campaign, calling its handling of the fallout from the first presidential debate “arrogant” and expressing doubts about the president’s ability to win the election. The San Diego congressman’s comments leave the door open to supporting an alternative candidate at the Democratic National Convention in August.
Peters, who has previously expressed admiration for Biden, said that the president’s performance in the debate has raised concerns about his viability in swing states. “We needed a boost from Thursday. We didn’t get it,” he stated. “We want to know what their plan is to win this election and turn these numbers around. If they don’t have a plan, then I think we have to move in a different direction.”
When asked if he still supports Biden ahead of November, Peters hedged, saying “the point is to win the election.” He pointed out that Biden is trailing in several key states and that the campaign needs a plan to turn those numbers around. “If Joe Biden’s got that plan, I want to hear about it ASAP,” he said.
Peters’ comments come as other Democratic lawmakers have begun to express concerns about Biden’s ability to win the election. Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) have both called on Biden to drop out of the race.
