‘Rip The Band Aid Off!’ Popular Moderate Democrat Calls For Kamala Harris to Replace Joe Biden

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Former Ohio congressman and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Tim Ryan , became one of the first major Democrats to call for President Joe Biden to step aside following his disastrous debate last week.

Ryan wrote an op-ed in Newsweek, published on Monday night, in which he made it absolutely clear he believes Biden must allow Vice President Kamala Harris to take over the top of the ticket.

“I ran for President in 2020. I was the first Presidential candidate to endorse Joe Biden in 2020. I love America. I love our Party. I love Joe Biden. The Democratic Nominee in 2024 should be Kamala Harris,” wrote Ryan to open his op-ed.

He shared his op-ed on X, formerly Twitter, writing , “We have to rip the band aid off! Too much is at stake. ⁦@VP⁩ has significantly grown into her job, she will destroy Trump in debate, highlight choice issue, energize our base, bring back young voters and give us generational change. It’s time!”

Ryan became one of the most popular and highly regarded Democrats on the campaign trail in 2022 as many observers believed he had found a recipe for success for the Democrats to reach working-class Americans in a state like Ohio, which Trump had solidly flipped his direction. While Republican JD Vance still went on to beat Ryan by over 6 points in the race, Ryan cemented his standing as a rising star in his party.

Ryan addressed Biden’s debate performance from last week, calling it “deeply troubling.” He argued, however, that the need for Biden to step aside isn’t “just about a 90-minute debate and a terrible performance. This election needs to be about generational change—something about which I have been shouting for more than a year now.” Ryan added:

I supported Joe because I believe he is a good and honorable man. I’m still very happy with my decision. He is the most pro-union, pro-manufacturing president in my lifetime. He understands the working class people—regardless of race or gender—that I represented in my Northeast Ohio Congressional District for 20 years.

He also promised to be a bridge President to the next generation. I liked that idea. I envisioned him defeating former President Donald Trump , stabilizing the country, and passing the torch to the next generation.

Ryan, who had previously argued Biden should not run in 2024, went on to insist that Harris can represent the change Democrats need. “Vice President Harris could carry a much more convincing Democratic message than President Biden, especially on the abortion issue, which will be a decisive topic in the fall,” Ryan argued, adding:

She would boldly tell Donald Trump that his hands have been on enough women’s bodies without their consent and ensure that American women are protected from his attempts to control their health care decisions.

She would energize the Black, brown, and Asian Pacific members of our coalition. (Read Philadelphia, Atlanta, Detroit, Charlotte, Miami and Milwaukee.) She would immediately pull the dispirited youth of our country back into the fold.

Read the full op-ed here .