Rep. Schiff Denies Involvement in 'Coordinated Effort' to Press Biden Out of Race

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has denied involvement in a "coordinated effort" to pressure President Biden to withdraw from the 2020 presidential race, despite being one of the first prominent Democrats to publicly call for Biden's exit.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has defended his decision to publicly call for President Biden to withdraw from the 2020 presidential race, but denied being part of a "coordinated effort" to pressure Biden out of the race.

In an interview on ABC's "The View," Schiff said he "can only speak for myself. I wasn’t part of a coordinated effort." Schiff was one of the first prominent Democrats to publicly ask Biden to drop out of the race in the weeks following the president's disastrous debate performance.

Rep. Schiff Denies Involvement in 'Coordinated Effort' to Press Biden Out of Race

Schiff's denial comes amid reports that multiple top Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), were privately urging Biden to reconsider his candidacy. However, Schiff claims he was not aware of these internal discussions.

Schiff cited concerns about Biden's health and ability to win against former President Donald Trump as the reasons for his public call for Biden to withdraw.

Rep. Schiff Denies Involvement in 'Coordinated Effort' to Press Biden Out of Race

"I really resisted wanting to say what I ultimately felt I needed to, but having worked on the January 6th committee, having worked on impeachment of the former president, having the grave concerns that I have that if we go back to the disastrous presidency of Donald Trump, it could be the end of our democracy as we know it," Schiff told the "The View" hosts.

Schiff praised Biden's decision to withdraw from the race, calling it "the right decision." He also said that Biden's decision has been met with "admiration" and "statesmanship."

Rep. Schiff Denies Involvement in 'Coordinated Effort' to Press Biden Out of Race

"I think it was the right decision, but, look, I’m sure it was enormously difficult for him. It was enormously difficult for me and for many in the party, because we have not only such respect for him, but, affection and admiration," Schiff said.

Schiff is currently running for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein's Senate seat in California. He reportedly voiced concerns over Biden's candidacy during a Democratic fundraiser before publicly calling on Biden to bow out.

"I think if he is our nominee, I think we lose," he said, according to The New York Times. "And we may very, very well lose the Senate and lose our chance to take back the House."

Despite these reported concerns, Schiff has denied being part of a "coordinated effort" to pressure Biden out of the race. He has maintained that his public call for Biden to withdraw was an independent decision based on his own concerns.

The denial of coordinated efforts suggests that any discussions among top Democrats about Biden's candidacy may have been informal and not part of a concerted plan.