Washington — Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California called on President Biden to drop his reelection effort on Wednesday, becoming the highest-profile Democrat to urge the president to step aside.

A slow progression of Democratic lawmakers has called on the president to step aside in recent weeks, following a disastrous debate performance last month, while expressing concern about Mr. Biden's ability to serve another term — and his chances of beating former President Donald Trump in November.

Schiff, who is running for Senate in California, said in a statement that while "the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone," he believes it's time for the president to "pass the torch." Schiff said doing so would "secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election."

The California Democrat rose to national prominence during the first impeachment trial against Trump, when he served as lead prosecutor, and for his work on the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. He joins a growing list of lawmakers in his party who have called on the president to step aside, many of whom are from battleground districts. 

Schiff is a protégé of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and is expected to sail to victory in deep-blue California in November. 

In his statement, which was first reported by the Los Angeles Times, Schiff praised Mr. Biden on Wednesday as "one of the most consequential presidents in our nation's history." But that didn't stop him from calling for new leadership, warning of the threat a second Trump presidency poses.

"A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November," he said.  

Still, Schiff made clear his support for whomever the party nominates at next month's convention, saying "I will do everything I can to help them succeed."

"There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump," Schiff said. "The stakes are just too high."

Mr. Biden's slow stream of defectors had slowed in recent days, after the assassination attempt against Trump took the national attention. Still, the uneasiness within the Democratic ranks remained, made evident by a push to delay an early virtual roll call vote to formally nominate Mr. Biden before the Democratic National Convention next month.  

Congressional Democrats began circulating a letter urging the DNC to push back the vote, which was slated for as early as Sunday. The vote was seen by some Democrats as a way to curtail debate about the future of the ticket. 

The heads of the DNC's rules committee ultimately determined that the virtual roll call vote will instead happen in August, according to a letter sent to members of the committee obtained by CBS News. Sources familiar with the matter said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed for the delay.

Nikole Killion, Alan He and Ellis Kim contributed reporting.

Kaia Hubbard

Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.

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