Actor-Activist Ashley Judd Calls On Joe Biden To Drop Out Of Race
Actor and activist Ashley Judd, an outspoken supporter of President Joe Biden, called on him Friday to “voluntarily, gracefully step aside” in the hopes of sparing America a second Donald Trump presidency.
Judd, who helped spark the Me Too movement with her allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, outlined her concerns in an opinion piece for USA Today.
“Some in Washington may want to wait for the next week, the next press conference, the next network interview,” she wrote. “Here, where I sit in rural Tennessee, it is clear that Americans have already made up their minds against President Biden, on top of the majority who love to vote for Donald Trump.”
Judd joins a chorus of other Biden supporters who have called for him to drop his reelection campaign in the wake of his politically disastrous debate performance against Trump last month. The calls have come from more than a dozen congressional Democrats and actor George Clooney.
“I feel immense, bereft sadness at the beliefs Donald Trump holds, and that his supporters endorse,” Judd wrote. “But that sadness is trivial compared to the hurt, devastation and loss millions will feel if Donald Trump is reelected. He would wield the power of the presidency with unprecedented, incalculable cruelty and unfairness.”
She added: “Because of the very real hurt millions of people would feel when he is president again, the Democratic Party must not delay in thanking President Biden and supporting a talented, robust Democrat to be our party’s nominee. We do not have another day for distraction or division among ourselves.”
Biden has been closely trailing Trump in recent polls, and he’s seen a slight dip in support following the debate. But his fumble-filled faceoff against Trump exacerbated supporters’ concerns about his age, cognitive fitness for office and ability to beat Trump again. Some polls indicate that Vice President Kamala Harris and other prominent Democrats have stronger shots at beating Trump in November.
Biden’s campaign did not immediately return requests for comment on Judd’s opinion piece.