Sen. Graham thinks Biden will "be replaced" as Democratic nominee
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Sen. Lindsey Graham listens during a news conference on July 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday he believes President Biden "most likely will be replaced" as the Democratic nominee.
Why it matters: Following a disappointing debate appearance and an underwhelming sit-down interview, pressure on Biden to step aside as the party's nominee has deepened despite his attempts to soothe nerves about his age and repeated pledges to stay in the race unless "the Almighty" intervenes.
What they're saying: Graham characterized Vice President Harris, floated by many as the Democrats' most obvious choice for Plan B, as a "vigorous" candidate and painted her as much more liberal than Biden, saying, "She's more like Bernie Sanders on policy."
- "If she does become the nominee, this is a dramatically different race than it is right now, today. I hope people are thinking about that on our side," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
- Trump advisers told Axios the campaign would launch scathing attacks on Harris should she pick up the baton, but the prospect of a younger candidate at the Democratic Party's helm has stirred conservative concerns.
Graham also called for regular cognitive tests — for both 2024 candidates and for all of those "in the line of succession" to the Oval Office.
- "This is a wake-up call for the country," he said. "We need to make sure that the people who are going to be in the line of succession are capable of being commander-in-chief under dire circumstances."
- "At a minimum, take a competency exam, President Biden and Trump," he added.
The other side: Graham's calls for cognitive tests for candidates were echoed by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
- "I think they both should be willing to take a test. I think, frankly, a test would show Donald Trump has a serious illness of one kind or another, but ultimately, the decision will come down to what Joe Biden thinks is best, and if his decision is to run, then run hard and beat that S.O.B., or if his decision is to pass the torch, then the president should do everything in his power to make the other candidate successful," Schiff said.
- Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a close Biden ally, was less enthusiastic about the efficacy or impact of such exams, saying, "I don't really know what the substance of those tests are," on CNN's "State of the Union."
- "I think it's much more important for the president to be in a conversation with voters this week in an unscripted way to show that he is still the old Joe Biden," he said. "I think that would be a much more effective way to answer people's questions than some medical test."
Catch up quick: When pressed by ABC News's George Stephanopoulos in a sit-down interview, Biden refused to commit to whether he would take a cognitive exam to screen any neurological conditions.
- "I have a cognitive test every single day," Biden said. "Everything I do. Not only am I campaigning, I am running the world."
- Following the debate, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said additional cognitive evaluations were deemed "not necessary" by the president's medical team.
The bottom line: Biden is 81. Trump is 78. Both would be the oldest president ever elected should they reclaim the White House.
- New York Times/Siena College polling from before and after the debate showed that the percent of Americans who think Biden is too old to be an effective president jumped by five percentage points to 74% after his shaky performance.
Go deeper: Behind the Curtain: Unbendable Biden vs. breaking-point Dems
