Sen. Joe Manchin calls on Joe Biden to 'pass the torch,' drop out of 2024 election

Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., on Sunday joined the expanding chorus of lawmakers who think President Joe Biden should call it quits in the 2024 election.

The West Virginia independent, who left the Democratic Party in May, said in a series of appearances that the 81-year-old incumbent should let someone else run against former President Donald Trump.

"I come with a heavy heart to say the time has come for him to pass the torch to a new generation," Manchin said on ABC' "This Week."

Biden's shaky debate performance against his 78-year-old Republican rival in June has released a cascade of concerns about his ability to serve a second term or win this November. A recent AP-NORC survey found 70% of U.S., including roughly two-thirds of Democrats, think the president should withdraw.

More: If President Joe Biden steps down, is America ready for President Kamala Harris?

If Biden exits the contest, Manchin, who is not seeking reelection, said Sunday, he will "go down with a legacy unlike many people, as one of the finest and truly a (patriotic) American."

Other senators, such as Sherrod Brown , D-Ohio, and Jon Tester, , D-Mont., have also added their names to the list of lawmakers pushing Biden to bow out. Both are Democrats who are considered at risk of losing their seats this fall, which could given Republicans control of Congress' upper chamber.

Biden and his reelection team have resisted the mutiny for weeks by arguing he won Democratic primaries from coast to coast with little opposition – and with the support of millions of Democratic voters.

"I don't know how many more times we can say it, but the matter to us is the voters" Quentin Fulks, who serves as Biden's deputy campaign manager, said Sunday on MSNBC.

"They are going to decide this election, and that is who our campaign is focused on communicating with."

The president has blamed the intra-party inferno largely on liberal mega-donors, although there are reports that bigwig leaders in Congress have shared their misgivings and have been pressuring Biden to drop out.

"I'm getting so frustrated by the elites in the party," Biden said in a July 8 phone call into "Morning Joe" on MSNBC.

Manchin's call is also bound to generate push back from some Democrats given that he left the party after flirting with a third-party run for president himself. Others will likely spotlight how the West Virginia moderate regularly thwarted more progressive elements of the Biden administration's agenda including efforts to combat climate change.

"Since when does Joe Manchin have the best interests of Democrats in mind," Joyce Alene, a former U.S. attorney nominated by then-President Barack Obama, asked Sunday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Over the weekend, Democratic party chairs in seven critical battleground states reaffirmed their support Biden and urged the party to focus on defeating Trump. The state leaders said Democrats can win if they focus on the, "MAGA threat of abortion bans, dictatorship and giveaways to billionaires."

Reporters Rebecca Morrin and Joey Garrison contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sen. Joe Manchin calls on Joe Biden to 'pass the torch,' drop out of 2024 election