Mike Johnson and JD Vance lead the Republican push for Biden to resign as president: ‘He is not fit to serve’

President Joe Biden faces mounting pressure from Republican lawmakers to step down following the announcement that he will not seek re-election in November. Republicans argue that if Biden is unfit to run, he is also unsuitable to continue to serve as president.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, was among the first to speak out, posting a statement on social media. "If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough," he declared.

Since then, more Republican representatives have joined this demand. Tom Emmer, Republican representative for Minnesota, endorsed this position and questioned Biden's ability to handle critical issues such as nuclear codes. He noted "If the Democrat party has deemed Joe Biden unfit to run for re-election, he's certainly unfit to control our nuclear codes," calling for the president's immediate resignation.

Elise Stefanik, chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, also backed the resignation demands and criticized the Democratic Party for trying to cover up the president's inability. "The Democrat Party is in absolute free fall for their blatantly corrupt and desperate attempt to cover up the fact that Joe Biden is unfit for office," Stefanik stressed.

In a similar tone, Nancy Mace, a Republican representative from South Carolina, questioned the logic behind keeping Biden in office: "Doesn’t have the mental acuity or cognitive ability to run a political campaign but can serve for 6 more months as president?" highlighting the contradiction. 

Kevin Hern, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, and Steve Daines, a Montana senator, have also advocated for Biden's immediate resignation. Both have underscored concerns about national security and the president's mental capacity, arguing that his remaining in office could be detrimental to the country.

Additional Republican leaders, such as new vice presidential candidate JD Vance and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, have expressed similar concerns, reflecting a growing unity within the Republican Party on the need for an immediate change in the presidency.

The pressure against Biden

The 81-year-old has been under increasing pressure to drop out of the 2024 presidential race after his debate performance against former President Donald Trump, which raised questions about his mental and physical stability to continue a campaign and serve another term.

Demands for his resignation have emerged from various sources, including the media, donors, and Democratic Party leaders. Although Biden initially resisted the idea, he eventually bowed to pressure.

In a public letter issued Sunday, the president announced his decision not to seek re-election: "It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term," he said.