Adam Schiff calls for Biden to drop out of race for President

SAN FRANCISCO - A California congressman is calling for incumbent President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race, a campaign spokesperson for Adam Schiff confirmed to KTVU. 

Adam Schiff, the U.S. Representative for California's 30th Congressional District, tells KTVU that while President Biden is "one of the most consequential presidents in our nation's history," he believes the U.S. is currently at a crossroads. 

"A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November," Schiff said. 

"While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden’s alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch. And in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election. But make no mistake, whoever our party ends up nominating, or if the nomination remains with the president, I will do everything I can to help them succeed. There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high."

Schiff, the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee who is now running for a Senate seat in California, first made his thoughts known on Saturday at a fundraiser in East Hampton, New York, just hours before the assassination attempt against former President Trump. 

Schiff is the latest—but likely most prominent—Democrat to call on President Biden to step aside for the 2024 election cycle. A flurry of donors and celebrities have made their thoughts known, including filmmaker George Clooney who penned an opinion piece in The New York Times. Clooney wrote that the President, "was the same man we all witnessed at the debate."

KTVU political reporter Greg Lee contributed to this report.