Virginia Sen. Mark Warner issues a softer but still skeptical statement on Biden
Senator Mark Warner of Virginia reportedly attempted to arrange a meeting with Democratic senators to discuss President Joe Biden’s status as the presumptive nominee for the November election.
On Monday, following the leak of the planned gathering and Congress back in session, Warner appeared to soften his stance. The meeting was canceled in favor of a discussion during the Senate Democratic Caucus’ regular lunch on Tuesday, and Warner issued a softer but still skeptical statement about Biden on his X, formerly Twitter account.
In that post, Warner argued that another term under former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, would be “perilous for rule of law and for our democracy.”
Warner wrote, “President Biden has made America stronger, guiding the nation through some of our most difficult days.”
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“I believe it is incumbent upon the President to more aggressively make his case to the American people and to hear directly from a broader group of voices about how to best prevent Trump’s lawlessness from returning to the White House,” he said in the post.
Other Virginia Democrats on Biden
The commonwealth’s junior Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who is up for reelection this year, reiterated his support for Biden at an event in Richmond on Monday, calling the president a “patriotic American” who will do what is best for the country.
Democratic Congressman Don Beyer, who represents Arlington and other Washington D.C. suburbs in Virginia, supported the president on social media after it was reported that Beyer had called into question Biden’s ability to s out a second term in a private phone call on Saturday. Beyer and his aides disputed the characterization of Beyer’s words on the private call.
Rep. Jennifer McClellan, who represents a district that spans from the North Carolina state line to just slightly north of Richmond, issued her own statement of support for Biden on Monday. McClellan’s statement did not address any concerns about age or mental stability. Instead, she said she backed a Biden-Harris ticket because of “how much is at stake” in the election.
On July 5, Rep. Gerry Connolly, who represents Fairfax and other parts of Northern Virginia, told CNN that he and other members of Congress needed to be reassured that Biden is capable of doing the job.
“It really behooves the White House to make more aggressive outreach with respect to members of Congress and other stakeholders,” he said. “That family dialogue is a lot better than circling the wagons and circulating campaign talking points.”