Youth-led climate group urges Biden to 'pass the torch' fearing next Trump term would be 'catastrophic'

WASHINGTON, DC: The Sunrise Movement, a progressive, youth-led climate group, is calling on President Joe Biden to step aside from the 2024 presidential race.

The call comes in the wake of Biden's debate performance, which has stirred Democratic concerns about his ability to defeat former President Donald Trump.

Sunrise Movement's Aru Shiney-Ajay calls for Joe Biden to step aside for climate's sake

Aru Shiney-Ajay, Executive Director of the Sunrise Movement, issued a statement noting the urgency of this demand while pointing to the high stakes of the upcoming election.

“To young people: losing this election could alter the rest of our lives,” said Shiney-Ajay.

“Joe Biden’s next climate legacy-defining act must be to pass the torch to a new nominee," she wrote in a statement.

“After speaking with young people around the country over the last few weeks, I’m concerned that Joe Biden isn’t positioned to mobilize young people and win in November," Shiney-Ajay added.

Despite backing many of Biden’s climate policies, the Sunrise Movement has not endorsed him, urging him to go further, including declaring a national climate emergency, as noted by The Hill. 

But, “In order to fight for our generation and our future, we must vote for the Democratic nominee” Shiney-Ajay added in the statement. 

Sunrise Movement highlights concerns if Donald Trump returns to power

Aru Shiney-Ajay highlighted the importance of defeating Donald Trump in the next election, warning of severe consequences if the former president were to win.

“For the future of our democracy and our planet, we must defeat Trump this November,” she stated.

“If Trump wins, he will demolish President Biden’s historic climate achievements, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and American Climate Corps," Shiney-Ajay said.

"Another Trump presidency would cause catastrophic and irreversible damage to our climate," she added.

"Today, I’m thinking about my family in Minneapolis and Kerala. About the world I want my generation to live in. The stakes are too high. We can’t afford to ignore the warning signs in front of us,” Shiney-Ajay wrote. 

Notably, the statement from the Sunrise Movement makes it the first major climate or environmental advocacy group to publicly call for Biden to step down, a move that breaks with top political allies like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt), who support Biden.

More than a dozen Democratic members of Congress have publicly urged Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.

“Regardless of who the Democratic candidate is, our plan is the same: to persuade young voters to turn out for the Democratic nominee in order to defeat Trump," the Sunrise Movement Executive Director wrote.

Internet reacts to Sunrise Movement urging Joe Biden to pass the torch to new nominee 

Netizens elicited mixed responses, with some questioning the electoral power of the Sunrise Movement and few suggesting Joe Biden was consumed by ego which would lead to his end.

“Not a big one; Sunrise holds zero electoral power,” one user argued on X (formerly Twitter).

Others have highlighted concerns about Biden’s appeal to younger voters. “When the Dem standard bearer is dropping from under 1/3 to under 1/4 voters under 35 … it’s time for reflection … followed by lots of time for reflection,” another user noted.

Responding to questions about potential alternatives to Biden, Shiney-Ajay mentioned, “Several candidates, including VP Harris, are polling even with or higher than Biden despite not campaigning yet. I just want to give ourselves the best chance we can at defeating Trump.”

"Everybody’s saying pass the torch except him, that’s why I’m praying he has a strong enough ego and he goes to the end his end, and the Democratic Parties hold on the American People," one more wrote on X.

"So we get the Senate the House and the Executive Branch. It’s the only way we’re going to see Justice," the user added.

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