President Joe Biden appeared to put personal grievances aside to shake hands with the first member of Congress to implore him to step down as the presumptive 2024 Democratic nominee.
Biden appeared friendly toward Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), who represents Austin, Texas, in Congress, when Doggett greeted Biden in his hometown Monday before the president's address at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and call for Supreme Court reforms.
"A true statesman and patriot," Doggett posted on X on Monday.
Doggett circulated a public statement earlier this month after Biden's June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump, encouraging him to stand down as the Democratic standard-bearer. His statement set a precedent for others.
“My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved,” Doggett wrote at the time. “Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.”
Later, at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Biden was asked about his Supreme Court reforms, which were announced Monday and include term limits and a binding code of conduct for justices, in addition to a constitutional amendment ensuring former presidents are not immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office.
When asked about House Speaker Mike Johnson describing his reforms as "dead on arrival" in Johnson's chamber, Biden responded, "That’s what he is.”
“He is?”, a reporter asked.
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“He is. Dead on arrival," he replied.
Biden added the White House and congressional Democrats would find “a way” to pass the reforms.