Georgia Democratic Party chair and U.S. Representative Nikema Williams (D-GA-05) stated in a Wednesday interview that President Joe Biden is ultimately the “only person” who will determine whether to step down and allow another Democrat to face former President Donald Trump in November.
Williams was asked about Biden’s political future in the aftermath of his poor debate performance during an interview with 11 Alive, when the Democrat explained, “Biden is the only person who can make the decision,” and confirmed she will support the 81-year-old president until he makes such a choice.
“Right now, President Biden is the only person who can make the decision if he is going to remain in this race,” Williams told the outlet.
So long as Biden remains the party’s presumptive nominee, the Democrat explained, “I am standing with my president because he has stood with the American people time and time again.”
According to 11 Alive, the full remarks by Williams will be broadcast on Sunday, when the outlet will air additional remarks in which Williams acknowledged Biden’s poor showing at the president’s first debate since he was declared the winner of the 2020 election.
“We all saw the debate,” Williams reportedly acknowledged. She continued, “It was not a good night and we were all concerned about what we saw on Thursday night.”
Regardless of Biden’s poor debate performance, Williams told the outlet remains dedicated to her “mission” in 2024. She revealed, “We must defeat Donald Trump.”
The comments from Williams come as Biden remains behind in The Peach State, where the Real Clear Polling aggregate of polling data shows Trump currently leads the president by 4 percent.
However, at press time, the polling average did not include any polling from after the presidential debate. Most national polls have shown Trump gained 1 to 4 percentage points after the debate.
Just prior to the debate, a poll of Georgians showed Biden trailing Trump by 5 percent in a four-way race, including independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Libertarian Party nominee Chase Oliver.
Williams’ remarks come amid continued speculation about whether Biden will remain in the race, including from Trump, who claimed in a leaked video the Democrat would be “quitting the race” due to fallout from the debate.
Democrats remain uncertain about who could replace Biden, with one lawmaker recently declaring any effort which overlooks Vice President Kamala Harris would result in bad “optics” for the party. Still, critics argue Harris’ long history as a prosecutor and politician could hurt her chances at winning.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Nikema Williams” by Alive 11.
