Democratic Michigan AG seemingly implies Biden should retire in post about Alex Morgan’s soccer career
DEXTER, Mich. — A top Michigan Democrat seemingly implied President Biden should step down in a tweet about 35-year-old soccer player Alex Morgan being left off the American Olympic women’s team.
State Attorney General Dana Nessel’s post appears to suggest the president should “gracefully” accept his age and “pass the baton” for the good of the country.
“I adore Alex Morgan. One of the greatest of all time,” wrote Nessel in response to Morgan’s announcement she will not compete in Paris. “But she’s aged significantly from her prime playing days & gracefully accepted that in order to win the gold it was time to pass the baton.”
Morgan, a star striker for San Diego Wave FC, was excluded from the Olympic roster just four years after being co-captain for the national team.
One clue Nessel was not simply talking about the games: Morgan posted the tweet she responded to June 26 — two weeks ago.
Nessel’s unusual decision to comment weeks later makes it likely she’s making a thinly veiled call for Biden to resign after his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump.
As if her point hadn’t gotten across, Nessel wrote in a follow-up post, “No one will ever forget her incredible accomplishments, but Alex just wants what’s best for the team and for America. That’s what makes her a true champion.”
Nessel’s posts are bizarre for other reasons too.
Nessel made the slightly disrespectful comment that Morgan has “aged significantly.” And she writes of Morgan “pass[ing] the baton” when in reality the striker did not want to be excluded from the roster.
The attorney general’s manipulation of Morgan’s announcement to call for the president to step down is a major development in the vital swing state of Michigan, where Democrats have not united in vocal support of Biden.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently restated her endorsement of Biden and rejected rumors she would take his place as the Democratic nominee. But other prominent Democrats in the state have remained silent on the issue.
Democratic House candidate Curtis Hertel Jr., for example, has not made any public comment on the subject since Biden’s debate performance.
Fellow House candidate Kristen McDonald Rivet also refused to comment on the debate, telling The Detroit News, “I’m not a TV pundit.” Both candidates are running in highly competitive districts.
Nessel’s not-so-subtle criticism of Biden, as well as the silence from other Michigan Democrats, suggests politicians in the Great Lakes State fear a negative down-ballot effect if Biden continues his campaign for re-election.
