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Montana’s Jon Tester becomes second Senate Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw from presidential race
Washington — Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana said Thursday that President Biden should not seek another term in the White House, becoming the second Senate Democrat to call on the president to drop his reelection bid.
“Montanans have put their trust in me to do what is right, and it is a responsibility I take seriously,” Tester said in a statement shared with the Daily Montanan. “I have worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and I’ve never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong. And while I appreciate his commitment to public service and our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term.”
Tester is in a tough race to hold onto his seat in November and represents a state that Mr. Biden lost in 2020. He joins Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont in urging the president to exit the race for the White House, though a number of House Democrats have publicly called on Mr. Biden to withdraw.
The president has faced mounting pressure to bow out of the race since the June 27 presidential debate, when his disastrous performance startled many and led to concerns about whether he was fit to serve a second term. Mr. Biden has so far resisted their calls and, in an effort to silence Democrats worried about his prospects in November, held a number of campaign events with core constituencies and participated in several media interviews in recent weeks.
He was sidelined from the campaign trail Wednesday after testing positive from COVID-19 and is isolating at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
The drumbeat for Mr. Biden to drop out of the race has continued, and on Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff of California became the most high-profile House Democrat to encourage Mr. Biden to “pass the torch.” A protege of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Schiff is running for Senate and expected to win in November.
Congressional Democrats also circulated a letter urging the Democratic National Committee to delay an early virtual roll call vote, during which Mr. Biden would be formally nominated for president. The party said the vote will happen in early August, before the start of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19.
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A picture is emerging of the suspect who officials say pointed a high-powered rifle at former president Donald Trump on a Florida golf course Sunday afternoon.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was armed with an AK-47-style rifle and was 300-500 yards away from Trump when members of the former president’s Secret Service detail spotted him, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. Routh was a few holes ahead of where the president was golfing at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, officials said.
Members of the Secret Service detail opened fire at Routh, according to law enforcement officials. It’s not clear if Routh fired any shots. Bradshaw said a witness saw a man jumping out of the bushes and fleeing in a black Nissan. The car was pulled over and the driver detained and identified as the suspect. Law enforcement found the rifle, a scope, two backpacks with ceramic tile and a GoPro camera in the bushes at the scene.
The FBI and U.S. Secret Service are investigating the incident, which the FBI said “appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump.”
As the investigation continues, here’s what we know about Routh:
Stephany Matat / AP
A decades-long criminal history
Routh’s most recent address is listed in Hawaii, but he spent most of his life in North Carolina, according to property records. Routh owned Camp Box Honolulu, a shed-building company, according to his LinkedIn profile. The account also says that he studied at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and graduated in 1998.
Records show his problems with the law go back to the 1990s and include less serious charges, like writing bad checks. But in 2002, he was charged with a felony — possession of a weapon of mass destruction — according to North Carolina Department of Corrections records.
Between 2002 and 2010, Routh was also charged with a number of misdemeanors, including a hit-and-run accident, resisting arrest and a concealed weapons violation, records show.
Suspect criticized Trump online
Routh voted Democratic in the 2024 primary election in North Carolina, and he voted in person, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. He appears to be registered as an unaffiliated voter.
His X account, which has now been suspended, included a number of posts about Trump.
“@realDonaldTrump While you were my choice in 2106, I and the world hoped that president Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointment and it seems you are getting worse and devolving,” he wrote in a June 2020 post. “I will be glad when you gone.”
He also referenced the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump in multiple posts, suggesting that President Biden and Vice President Harris should visit the injured and attend the funeral of the Pennsylvania rally-goer who was killed.
A Facebook account under Routh’s name was no longer online on Sunday evening.
Ukraine supporter
Routh was passionate about fighting for Ukraine, even traveling overseas to fight in the country’s war against Russia in 2022.
“I am coming to Ukraine from Hawaii to fight for your kids and families and democracy.. I will come and die for you,” he wrote on X.
In one post on LinkedIn, he shared a photo of himself in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.
A CBS News review of Routh’s social media shows his pro-Ukraine views seeped into his public statements as well. He urged people, even those who didn’t have military skills, to take up arms for Ukraine. He was interviewed by several news organizations, including The New York Times and Semafor in 2023, and Newsweek Romania in 2022. He was quoted about his efforts to recruit volunteer fighters to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, though it wasn’t clear whether he had succeeded.
“This is about good versus evil,” he told Newsweek Romania.
contributed to this report.
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