Schiff's choice to 'abandon' Biden is act of 'selfish desperation' amid campaign fundraising woes, Garvey says
Steve Garvey says Adam Schiff's decision to call on Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race was an act of “selfish desperation" after his Senate campaign had been outraised.
California Senate candidate Steve Garvey called the about-face by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on President Biden's re-election bid an act of "selfish desperation" after Schiff realized his Senate campaign had been outraised by more than $1 million.
"Adam Schiff’s recent act of selfish desperation to abandon his presidential nominee has caused a clear reaction from his supporters on his social media," Garvey, the Republican candidate vying to fill the late Dianne Feinstein's seat, told Fox News Digital. "It’s now clear to his supporters what has been clear to millions of Americans for years, that Adam Schiff only cares about Adam Schiff, and Californians deserve a senator that puts them above politics."
Schiff called on Biden to drop out of the 2024 race earlier this week, saying in a statement to Fox News Digital that a "second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy, and I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November."
Garvey remarked in a social media post this week that it was "not surprising" Schiff called on Biden to step aside "less than 24 hours after it was reported that our campaign out-raised Adam Schiff's campaign by $1.2 million."
ADAM SCHIFF CALLS ON BIDEN TO EXIT PRESIDENTIAL RACE AS DEM CONFIDENCE DWINDLES
Garvey said this is the first time in 14 years a Republican statewide candidate in California has surpassed the fundraising of a Democratic candidate.
"It’s understandable that they felt they had to take dramatic action when this news came out," he added. "When Adam Schiff announced that he believes President Biden shouldn’t seek re-election, it dominated the news cycle for the day, helping in part to bury our fundraising success story."
Between April 1 and June 30, Garvey reportedly raised $5.4 million to Schiff's $4.1 million.
Garvey also questioned why Schiff was quick to call on Biden to drop out of the presidential race but did not call on him to resign.
"The question must be asked: If Schiff doesn’t believe Biden can be an effective candidate, why does he believe that he can continue to be an effective president? It’s clear from Schiff’s own words that he is very concerned about his and other down ticket’s chances this November," Garvey said.
Earlier this week, Schiff praised Biden's accomplishments while in office, claiming, "Joe Biden has been one of the most consequential presidents in our nation's history, and his lifetime of service as a Senator, a Vice President, and now as President has made our country better.
"But our nation is at a crossroads," the California representative warned.
Schiff noted that whether Biden withdraws from the race is the president's choice, but he added, "I believe it is time for him to pass the torch."
He also suggested Biden would "secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election" if he follows the advice to leave the race.
"But make no mistake, whoever our party ends up nominating, or if the nomination remains with the president, I will do everything I can to help them succeed," the California Democrat made clear. "There is only one singular goal: defeating Donald Trump. The stakes are just too high."
In March, Schiff grilled special counsel Robert Hur and defended Biden during a contentious House hearing about his February report that described the president as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."
In that February report, Hur said he would bring no criminal charges against the president after a months-long investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified documents related to national security.
Schiff told Hur his report "disparage[d] the president" and insisted Hur knew his report "would have a maximal political impact."
"Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone from whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt," the report stated. "It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him — by then a former president well into his eighties — of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness."
Schiff continued to press Hur and accused him of knowing he would start a "political firestorm" with the language he used. Hurr said "politics played no part whatsoever" in the investigation.
"What you did write was deeply prejudicial to the interests of the president. You say it wasn't political, and yet you must have understood," Schiff said. "You must have understood the impact of your words. You must have understood the impact of your decision to go beyond the specifics of a particular document, to go to the very general, to your own personal prejudicial, subjective opinion of the president, one you knew would be amplified by his political opponent. When you knew that would influence a political campaign, you had to understand, and you did it anyway. You did it anyway."
Garvey, a former professional baseball player, will take on Schiff in the Golden State's Nov. 5 election. The race is considered "Solid Democratic" by nonpartisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report, giving Schiff an edge over his opponent.
Schiff's announcement made him the 20th congressional Democrat to urge Biden to exit the race. He is also the most prominent House Democrat to do so.
So far, a combined 35 Democrats from the House and Senate have called on Biden to drop out of the 2024 election.
Fox News Digital's Julia Johnson and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.