Democrat becomes first to indicate Biden should RESIGN

A sitting House Democrat became the first to suggest President Joe Biden should resign from office in a stunning statement. 

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., said ahead of Biden's highly-anticipated press conference Thursday that she has 'doubt' about his 'health and fitness to do the job' following his disastrous debate two weeks ago.

Perez also said she has concerns about whether he is actually the 'one making important decisions about our country, rather than unelected advisors.'

'Americans deserve to feel their president is fit enough to do the job,' she continued in a statement to local channel KGW8. 

'The crisis of confidence in the President’s leadership needs to come to an end. The President should do what he knows is right for the country and put the national interest first.'

Her statement goes beyond the growing chorus of Democrats - 14 so far to be exact - who have called on Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race.

Two weeks after Biden's terrible debate performance against former President Trump, questions are swirling on Capitol Hill about whether his leadership will help or hurt down-ballot Democrats.

And now 14 elected Democrats have come out publicly urging Biden to step down from the race.

Perez's colleague Rep. Adam Smith, of Washington, was one of the first sitting House members to urge Biden to step down from the 2024 ticket.

Amid the chaos, Biden campaign advisors Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti and Biden's campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon orchestrated a last-minute meeting with Democrat senators.

But lawmakers emerged from their private meeting discussing Biden's political future with little to celebrate - most with more questions than they entered with.

'Some of my concerns are allayed, some others have been deepened,' Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told reporters after the private meeting. 'I need more of the kind of analytics that show the path to success.'

'We need more data, more analytics to allay my concerns,' he said. 'More important than my concerns are the questions that have been raised by the American people.'

'I think Joe Biden has to take the fight to Donald Trump and allay the people's concerns.'

'And I think he is capable of doing that but he has to show the American people the clear contrast and the existential threat that Donald trump represents to American democracy.'

Blumenthal's concerns are shared by many on the Hill. 

Another Senator, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, spoke at a fundraiser earlier this week describing 'nervousness' about the top of the Democrats' ticket, DailyMail.com exclusively learned.

Earlier this week, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi went on Biden's favorite morning show on MSNBC and said the president must decide whether he is still wanting to be the Democratic nominee. 

The thing is, he sent a letter to all Democrats on Capitol Hill just days earlier saying he fully intends to stay in the race despite concerns over his age and debate performance. 

Her insistence that the president's mind is not made up has led to other Democrats repeating the former speaker's line, that Biden must make his own decision. 

Pelosi also said that Biden should focus on his solo press conference the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., and not worry about making up his mind until after his highly-anticipated remarks. 

Reports indicate that Democrats across Congress may come out against the president after his speech Thursday evening in an effort to not undermine the country's leader as he manages delicate foreign relations. 

'Tonight will be important,' Blumenthal said of the event.

'The press conference will potentially be a turning point. But it has to be more than just one press conference.'