Whitmer, Multiple Lawmakers Absent at Biden Event in Michigan Amid Calls for Him to Step Aside

Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was among a number of prominent elected officials who announced they would not attend a campaign event for President Joe Biden Friday evening in Detroit as calls mounted for the 81-year-old to exit the presidential race.

Biden has been urged to step aside by many of his fellow Democrats since his poor showing last month during a debate against former President Donald Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee.

The president has stated in no uncertain terms he will remain in the race. According to his itinerary, he was scheduled to fly to the battleground state of Michigan on Friday for a campaign event before heading to Delaware.

But as Steve Peoples of the Associated Press reported on Friday, Biden will be without several prominent faces by his side in Detroit as he fights for his political future and votes in the crucial swing state he narrowly won in 2020.

Whitmer will be out of town while Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) will also miss the event.

According to Peoples, United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain will also be absent due to a scheduling conflict.

As the AP also reported, Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) will also not attend Friday’s event and has called on Biden to step aside.

“With the challenges facing our country in 2025 and beyond, it is essential that we have the strongest possible candidate leading the top of the ticket — not just to win, but to govern,” Scholten said in a Thursday statement.

Scholten will attempt to defend her seat in her state’s competitive third congressional district in western Michigan in November.

As CNBC noted, as of Friday 20 congressional Democrats had issued public statements asking Biden to end his bid for for a second term since he appeared confused and at times lost during his June 27 debate against Trump that was moderated by CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper.

The president did little to make the case that he is fit for another four years in office on Thursday during a much-anticipated news conference in Washington after he met numerous fellow NATO ally leaders.

Biden at one point referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump” when addressing reporters as most of the questions he answered were either about his mental fitness or whether he believes he could win in November.

Two hours before the Trump gaffe, Biden referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” at the NATO summit before he ultimately corrected himself.

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