Democrat frontrunner Joe Biden (D) should sit the 2020 presidential race out, says actress and former View co-host Rosie O’Donnell.
O’Donnell appeared on CNN Tuesday evening and expressed concerns over Biden’s chances against President Donald Trump, saying Biden is “not the future of the Democratic Party.” His time has passed, and he should “sit this one out,” she added.
“I think that Joe Biden should say, ‘I’m going to sit this one out. I’m going to be an elder statesman and I’m gonna advise,'” O’Donnell said, hitting back at the prevailing argument, backed by several polls, that Biden stands the greatest chance of taking down Trump.
“I don’t believe that’s true,” she said.
The Hollywood activist believes the Democrat nominee should be someone new who can utilize Biden’s decades of experience in public office — someone like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) or California Sen. Kamala Harris (D).
O’Donnell said:
And then whoever is the nominee, I think, should think about how to best use somebody with the experience that Joe Biden has and all these years in politics. But he’s not the future of the Democratic Party and I think we have now until we get a nominee to figure out who that person is. And in my opinion, it’s either Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris.
While the SMILF star is open to both candidates, Warren is her first choice.
“I’m really for Elizabeth Warren. I think her plans that she has for just about everything and all that she did with the big banks and corporate shakedowns,” O’Donnell explained, expressing confidence that the senator, who was found to lie about her Native American heritage, is solidly “formidable” against the sitting president.
“She was a leader in so many ways and still is and I think she is formidable against Trump and all of the money that she’s raised from non-lobbys,” she continued. “It’s pretty astounding to me what she’s been able to do.”
Warren’s campaign successfully raised an impressive $19.1 million in the second quarter without the help of fundraisers. Prior to that, her campaign raised $6 million in the first quarter.
O’Donnell continued, harping on something Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who dropped out of the 2020 race Monday, said during the first debate.
“He’s antiquated in a lot of his thinking, a lot of his beliefs, a lot of his history is a long time ago. And I feel like it is time to pass the torch as Eric Swalwell said. It is time to pass the torch,” O’Donnell said before mentioning Biden’s age. “I don’t think 80 years old is an age to be starting a presidential job. I think you have to be 35 and there should an ending point. Your time has passed in terms of being president of the United States. That’s my personal opinion.”
This is not the first time O’Donnell has publicly expressed support for Warren. She appeared on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live After Show in June and said she supported the Massachusetts senator because Warren “has plans for everything” and “knows how to handle that baby in the White House.”
The current Real Clear Politics average has Warren beating Trump by 2.2 percentage points in a hypothetical general election matchup. However, there are many factors at play. The final Real Clear Politics average ultimately had Hillary Clinton beating Trump by 2.1 percent in 2016.
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