Former US diplomat pleads for Biden’s circle to convince him to step down as nominee: ‘Come on, man!’
President emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations and former U.S. diplomat Richard Haass demanded President Biden’s handlers to get him to step down as the presumptive Democratic nominee ahead of the election.
Speaking on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe," Tuesday, Haass argued that Biden is not fit for another term in office due to his age and that there needs to be a "change."
"I really believe that Joe Biden is no longer positioned that he can be a successful president four and a half years from now," Haass said during the broadcast.
Haass, who served as Director of Policy Planning for the U.S. State Department during the George W. Bush administration, appeared on the program to talk about his recent column, titled, "After Biden’s Debate Performance, the World Should Prepare for Trump."
The piece argued that Biden’s debate performance hammered home the president's "apparent physical and mental infirmities" to voters and that his performance "could even threaten turn him into something of a lame duck."
During the "Morning Joe" segment, Haass said Biden’s debate performance not only called into question his ability to win re-election over Trump, but his ability to be a competent president for another four and a half years.
"He’s 81. He’s going to be 82 in November. He’s going to be 86 if he is re-elected before – while he is still in the Oval Office," the commentator said.
"So when you elect a president, you’re basically buying an option. You’re buying a four-year option," he continued, before questioning the notion that Biden is a good choice.
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER CALLS ON DONALD TRUMP TO DROP OUT AFTER DEBATE PERFORMANCE
"Does anyone seriously think that in four and a half years from now, Joe Biden is going to be what he needs to be an effective president? As he himself would say, come on, man!"
Haass declared, "That’s not going to be the case. And I hate to say it, but we’ve got to say it."
He mentioned that Trump is "unfit" for office because of "temperament, character, you name it," but added that Biden is as well because of his declining mental state.
"That is why I think we really need to change. He needs to be urged to step down," Haass added.
According to reports, Biden has a "years-long love" for MSNBC's "Morning Joe," and even sometimes speaks to show co-host Joe Scarborough about political issues and media coverage.
However, if Biden watched the program in recent days, he would have seen Scarborough and frequent show guests, like Donny Deutsch, question his fitness to win a re-election race against Trump.
Panicked Democrats across the country as well as liberal pundits have raised questions about Biden's candidacy following the debate.
The White House and Biden campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.