Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey publicly implored President Joe Biden to "carefully evaluate" whether he can beat former President Donald Trump following his disastrous debate performance.
Healey's statement Friday made her the first Democratic governor to openly urge Biden, 81, to reconsider running for reelection in November.
"The best way forward right now is a decision for the president to make," Healey said. "Over the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump."
The first-term governor is a member of Biden's national campaign advisory board and headlined a lucrative fundraiser for him in Boston this past spring, according to Politico.
Healey was also among more than 20 Democratic governors with whom Biden met in person and virtually at the White House Wednesday night.
Following that meeting, many expressed support for Biden, with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore saying: "The president is our nominee. The president is our party leader."
In her statement, Healey praised Biden's leadership, saying he "saved our democracy in 2020 and has done an outstanding job over the last four years."
Healey also said that she knew Biden "agrees this is the most important election of our lifetimes" and that whatever he decided, she was "committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump."
In a taped ABC News interview broadcast Friday night, Biden blamed his dismal, June 27 faceoff against Trump on being "sick" and dismissed it as a "bad episode."
The nation's oldest president also said he wouldn't agree to undergo cognitive testing and release the results, claiming that he gets "a full neurological test every day" by serving as the leader of the free world.
