North Texas Rep. Veasey commends Biden for 'passing the torch' days after calling for him to drop out

NTX Rep. Marc Veasey on Biden ending campaign

Just days after Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Fort Worth) called for President Biden to drop out of the presidential race, he did so. Veasey sits down with FOX 4's Steven Dial about Biden's decision, his thoughts on the potential candidacy of Kamala Harris and how the new Democratic nominee will be chosen.

FORT WORTH, Texas - On Sunday, President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign after many in his own party called for him to do so.

On Friday, Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Fort Worth) became the first member of Congressional Black Caucus to ask the president to step down.

Just days later, Veasey praised Biden for "passing the torch" to the next generation of Democratic leaders.

"He literally will go down in history as one of the most accomplished presidents that this country has ever seen," Veasey said.

Rep. Veasey on Kamala Harris

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Like Biden, Veasey and the Congressional Black Caucus have thrown their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

"She is the most qualified. She has served ably under the president for the last four years and she brings impeccable credentials for being the presidential nominee," Veasey said.

The Congressman, whose district includes parts of Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington and Irving, says he has seen a great deal of enthusiasm for Harris since the president made his decision.

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"I think that you're going to see a energized and an amazing candidate in Kamala Harris versus the sort of confused and meandering, candidate that you saw in Trump at the Republican convention," said Veasey.

Veasey says the timing of the announcement is "perfect."

"The energy that she's going to bring is going to really excite, not just Democrats, but Independents and probably even a few Republicans as we move into November," he said.

Harris' Impact on the Minority Vote

A recent University of Houston - Texas Southern University poll showed an increasing number of Black and Latino voters in Texas moving toward former president Trump.

The poll taken at the end of June said 16 percent of Black voters in Texas said they would vote for Trump, up 11 percent in April.

45 percent of people polled from the Latino community in Texas say they would vote for Trump.

It's a trend that is being seen in other parts of the country as well.

Veasey says he believes the poll numbers are "incorrect" and "inflated." He believes a Harris ticket would run away with the minority vote.

"I absolutely think Kamala Harris is going to do just as well as President Obama and President Biden did with Black and brown voters," said Veasey. "I think she is going to knock it out of the ballpark."

Process for Picking the Democratic Candidate

Joe Biden withdraws: What it means

FOX 4's Blake Hanson, Shaun Rabb and Steven Dial discuss the historic moment of President Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential race, what the future holds for Kamala Harris and if there will be any impact down the ballot in Texas.

Veasey says the party is still working to figure out how to choose its presidential candidate.

"When we get back to D.C. I know that there are going to be different member calls and different member meetings on how exactly this process is going to work," said Veasey.

The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago from August 19 to 22.