Rep. Seth Moulton, a 5-term Massachusetts Democrat who competed against Joe Biden during the 2020 primaries, says the president “didn’t seem to recognize him” just weeks ago.
Moulton was among the first House Democrats to call on Biden to step aside in the wake of his disastrous debate performance in June.
In a Boston Globe op-ed published on Friday, Moulton recounted an interaction he had in a “small group” with Biden in Normandy, France at the beginning of June, when the president and scores of lawmakers were commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
“For the first time, he didn’t seem to recognize me,” Moulton wrote. “Of course, that can happen as anyone ages, but as I watched the disastrous debate a few weeks ago, I have to admit that what I saw in Normandy was part of a deeper problem.”
Moulton argued that the case for Biden to step aside had only grown more urgent following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, referencing the president’s frequent verbal flubs.
“The assassination attempt on Trump last weekend makes him even harder to beat, and it makes prosecuting the case about why he is a danger to democracy more tricky — though no less essential — because the wrong word choice can quickly be used against you,” Moulton wrote.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the interaction.
Just on Friday, following the conclusion of the Republican National Convention, eight more Democrats have come forward with fresh calls for Biden to drop out.
The president has defiantly refused to do so, despite reporting that suggests he’s lost the confidence of Democratic leadership in both the House and Senate.
