Republicans call on Biden to resign presidency after he ends reelection bid

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than a dozen Republicans called on U.S. President Joe Biden to step down on Sunday after he ended his re-election bid, saying that his unwillingness to continue to campaign raises questions about his ability to continue to govern.

House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance -- the just-nominated running mate of Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election -- and other lawmakers urged the 81-year-old incumbent to step down from office.

Biden insisted in his statement that he would finish his term, which ends Jan. 20, 2025, and fellow Democrats blasted the calls as "ridiculous."

"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," said Johnson, who is next in line to the presidency after Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden's fellow Democrats for weeks had called on him to end his campaign after a disastrous June 27 debate against former President Trump in which Biden at times struggled to finish his thoughts.

"If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President?" Vance tweeted.

Others, including Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, called on Biden's Cabinet to remove him from office by invoking the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Biden's Cabinet, composed of officials hand-picked by the president, is highly unlikely to do so.

Asked about the resignation calls, Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, a close associate of Biden, said, "I think that is ridiculous."

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said Biden would continue to serve.

"He looks forward to finishing his term and delivering more historic results for the American people," Bates said. "That includes continuing to lower costs, create jobs, and protect Social Security while standing against the MAGAnomics agenda that would worsen inflation and drive us into recession."

Republican Senator Rick Scott and Representatives Elise Stefanik, Tim Burchett and Mike Waltz also called on Biden to resign.

Republicans have spent months vilifying Biden over issues including the immigration and inflation. House Republicans also mounted an unsuccessful bid to impeach Biden that discovered no evidence of wrongdoing.

(Reporting by David Morgan; additional reporting by Jeff Mason; editing by Scott Malone and Diane Craft)