Biden ally accuses Democrats snubbing president of ‘political malpractice’

Former senior White House adviser Cedric Richmond knocked Democrats reluctant to have President Biden campaign with them ahead of the midterms.

“If they are reluctant, I think it’s political malpractice. If you don’t want Biden, it’s malpractice,” Richmond told The Washington Post.

Richmond lauded Biden’s recent high-profile successes, such as the expansive health and climate bill signed into law last week, and said he expects Biden’s numbers to climb, noting that “if I’m a candidate, I’d tie myself to that.”

“A lot of these things, Democrats have been trying to accomplish them for a long time,” Richmond said. “Who wouldn’t want the person who was finally able to do that to come and campaign for them?”

A former Louisiana Democrat in Congress, Richmond served the Biden administration as director of the Office of Public Engagement. He is now an adviser to the Democratic National Committee. The Hill has reached out to Richmond for further comment.

A number of Democrats have recently sidestepped questions about whether they’d back a Biden reelection bid in 2024, and some vulnerable candidates are keeping a notable distance from their party leader.

According to a Washington Post survey, few vulnerable Democrats said they want the president campaigning for them.

The report cites Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) as two lawmakers, both facing difficult Senate races, as snubbing the idea of Biden campaigning in their states. The Hill has reached out to Ryan’s and Bennet’s campaigns.

In a new campaign ad, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) distances herself from the president, saying she “doesn’t work for Joe Biden.”

Despite low approval ratings and concerns about his age, the president has insisted he plans to run again

On Sunday, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said that he’d welcome Biden’s company on the campaign trail.

“Hey, I will welcome anybody to come to Arizona, travel around the state at any time — as long as I’m here, if I’m not up in Washington in session — and talk about what Arizona needs,” Kelly said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Biden is expected to join Democrats in Maryland for a rally this Thursday.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore, who faces Trump-backed GOP nominee Dan Cox in the race to replace Gov. Larry Hogan (R), is expected to attend.

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