PBS News Hour

We're going to get two perspectives now, two different perspectives from Democratic members of Congress, first from Congressman Adam Smith.

He's the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, who today called on President Biden to abandon his reelection efforts.

Congressman Smith joins us now.

Thanks for being with us.

So you say that President Biden should exit the race.

Why?

Does it have to do with his electoral chances or, in your view, his ability to do the job as president?

REP. ADAM SMITH (D-WA): There's two - - the two most compelling reasons.

Number one, I don't believe the president is an effective messenger at this point.

And that's the shame of it.

We have a great message.

I think the president's done a good job the last four years.

When you look at where the economy was when he came in, he's managed that in a way that has put us in a better position than any other country in the world coming out of COVID.

He passed the infrastructure bill.

He passed the Inflation Reduction Act.

He has pulled together this coalition that has helped us stop Putin from taking over Ukraine.

But what we saw in the debate and what we have seen since then and also in some instances before that, he is not an effective messenger for that.

And he has health care concerns.

You saw that at the White House press conference today, where there were not clear answers given.

So I just think at, this point, there are other people that could deliver that message better.

And the stakes are so high.

And, yes, we are distracted.

But I know the White House has said, well, members need to stop talking about this.

We're not the ones bringing it up.

We were not there at the White House press - - press event today.

The media brought it up.

Our constituents have brought it up.

It's what people are talking about.

Yes, it is a distraction from talking about our message, from talking about Donald Trump.

But given President Biden's performance in the debate, what has happened since then, we can't do that.

I want the most effective messenger possible because the stakes could not be higher.

GEOFF BENNETT: Well, in a letter that the president wrote to congressional Democrats today, he said: "The question of how to move forward has been well aired for over a week now and it's time for it to end."

So the question I have for you is, at this point, what are you planning to do?

The president says he's not stepping aside.

REP. ADAM SMITH: Yes, I'm planning to deliver the message.

And, look, I agree with you.

I think the president has dug in, and I think that's incredibly unfortunate.

But I just can't let that go.

It's too important, and that debate performance and what has happened since then made it too clear about his inability to be an effective messenger for this party.

And, look, I pointed this out earlier, but, four years ago, when President Biden ran, he didn't get off to a very good start in the primary campaigns.

He lost in Iowa, he lost in New Hampshire, he lost in Nevada, and then Bernie Sanders emerged as the top candidate.

And these same people who Biden is now dismissing as elites, which, by the way, are the Democratic Party, were worried about that.

So they threw their support behind Joe Biden and helped get other candidates out of the race.

You know, it's what the Democratic Party has done.

It's not personal.

It's not about Joe Biden.

It's about what's best for the party and best for the country.

This time, it is clear to me that what's best for the party and best for the country is to have a different candidate.

And I just -- I feel so strongly about that.

What's the honest answer to that question when people say, well, what did you think about the president's debate performance?

What do you think about the president's health?

What do you think about this interview where he didn't say it correctly?

That's what we're peppered with day in and day out, instead of being able to talk about the message that we want to talk about.

And that is not... (CROSSTALK) REP. ADAM SMITH: ... fault.

(CROSSTALK) GEOFF BENNETT: Forgive me.

If not President Biden as the nominee, then who?

Is it Vice President Kamala Harris or someone else?

REP. ADAM SMITH: Yes, my personal feeling, I think it should be Vice President Harris.

I think the last two years, in particular, she's been an outstanding messenger for this party, particularly on the most salient issue of those two years.

And that's reproductive health care for women.

She has been very strong in that regard.

And I -- that's who I would pick.

But, look, we have a couple dozen different, really effective, talented, experienced candidates all across the board.

The convention can make a different choice.

And I want to make one other point clear.

The president's not the nominee yet.

He's the presumptive nominee.

If we go through the convention and he's the nominee, look, I will support him.

He's clearly the best choice.

Elections are a choice.

He's a better choice than who's in the field.

I'm just worried that those limitations mean that he's not going to be good enough to beat Donald Trump.

GEOFF BENNETT: The president won 14 million votes in the primary.

It's often Democrats who accuse Republicans of trying to disenfranchise voters.

What's the argument for effectively throwing away the votes of 14 million people who have said, Joe Biden is our guy?

REP. ADAM SMITH: Two things about that.

Number one, Kamala Harris was running with him, OK?

Part of the reason that I will also pick Kamala Harris is because of that.

And it was set up.

If the president can't do the job of running this campaign, Kamala's right there, and she got those votes too, First of all.

Second of all, what if that debate had happened in November of last year, OK?

You can make a pretty powerful argument that, since all of those people voted, there has been a significant shift in the president's ability to run this campaign.

And that's why we have the option, the opportunity to pick a different choice.

And, look, I'm not trying to pressure the president into doing anything.

What I sincerely hope is that he and his advisers will do the same thing that all Democrats did four years ago and sit down and say, what's the best path forward?

It's not primarily about Joe Biden.

It's about the country.

It's about the party.

It's about the issues.

Look at it and ask yourself honestly, do we have a better chance to win in November with Joe Biden at the top of the ticket or Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket?

I think the question answers itself at this point.

And I think that is what I'm hoping that the way - - and I have spoken to them, by the way.

I didn't just do this out of the blue.

I spoke to them the day after the debate and several times since.

So, I just -- I want the right choice to be made for the sake of the country.

GEOFF BENNETT: What do you say to Democrats who view this entire thing as unhelpful, that if President Biden stays in the race, as he says he will, he will emerge from this damaged, one, by his own debate performance, but, two, by this open skepticism from Democrats like yourself, that there's more harm than good done by this, that he emerges, that the ticket emerges from this devalued?

REP. ADAM SMITH: I say two things about that.

First of all, this is out there.

We're not the ones bringing it up.

I have said this over and over again.

I said it earlier, OK?

It is out there.

It is being brought up.

The plan of let's just not address it and hope it goes away isn't working well.

And it's not because of us.

The people are asking about it.

These are the calls that are coming into my office.

We're not the ones who are bringing it up.

And, second, that is how strongly I feel about this issue.

Look, I had concerns.

I mean, the president was old when he got elected the first time.

He was older when he ran the second time.

And I had concerns.

He had alluded to the fact that he was a bridge.

He was going to run for one term.

And so I thought, yes, we should probably get a different candidate.

And, OK, he decided not to do that.

And I bought into that and said, OK, he's the nominee.

Let's try to support him as much as possible.

And I did.

Again, it is how strongly I feel about it.

The debate performance wasn't just a bad night.

It was catastrophic in the performance.

And it hasn't gotten a lot better since then.

So I hear you, OK?

It probably has a slight negative up front, but if it gets us the positive of a stronger nominee, I just feel so strongly about the fact that we have to try.

GEOFF BENNETT: That is Congressman Adam Smith of Washington.

Thank you so much for sharing your insights with us.