Republicans critical of Trump praise Biden; Vance, others say he should resign

July 21 (UPI) -- Republicans who oppose former President Donald Trump's third bid for the White House offered kind words for President Joe Biden after he announced he was leaving the race Sunday, while GOP lawmakers loyal to the New York real estate mogul called on Biden to resign.

Following growing concerns within his own party over his ability to beat Trump stemming from his disastrous debate performance last month, Biden on Sunday announced he was leaving the presidential race and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to succeed him as the Democratic presidential nominee.

Liz Cheney, a staunch critic of Trump's who arguably lost her House seat in Wyoming because of it, offered one compliment for Biden, stating he deserves their thanks for his years of service to the nation.

"The framers of our Constitution knew that our republic would endure only if our presidents have the character and honor to put duty ahead of self interest," Cheney, who was a member of the Jan. 6 committee, said on X. "President Biden deserves our gratitude for his decades of service to our nation and for his courageous decision today."

Mitt Romney -- a former GOP presidential candidate and an outgoing senator from Utah who decided to not seek re-election seemingly over the new, MAGA direction of his party -- issued a statement sending warm "personal wishes" to the president and first lady Jill Biden.

He called himself "a classic Republican" and Biden "a classic Democrat" and though they usually didn't agree, they did find common on issues such as infrastructure, support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion, the addition of religious liberty protections to the marriage bill, gun safety and others.

"Others will judge his presidency. However, having worked with him these past few years, I respect President Biden," Romney said. "His decision to withdraw from the race was right and is in the best interest of the country."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she respects Biden's decision "to act in the best interest of the country" by stepping down, while Adam Kinzinger, who, like Cheney, arguably lost his House seat in Illinois for voting to impeach Trump over the 2021, insurrection, complimented Biden while thrashing the Trump's character.

"Here is the difference between a man who loves his country, and one who loves himself: Joe Biden did an honorable and selfless act by stepping aside. His legacy will be among the best," Kinzinger, the only other Republican on the Jan. 6 committee, said on X.

"Trump cares about Trump only. And the GOP is too scared to do what the Dems did: tell the truth."

While the praise for Biden came from a small balcony within the Republican Party, the now-dominate Make America Great Again leadership called for Biden to step down, with calls being led by Trump's vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance.

"If Joe Biden ends his reelection campaign, how can he justify remaining President?" he said on X.

"Not running for re-election would be a clear admission that President Trump was right all along about Biden not being mentally fit enough to serve as Commander-in-Chief."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Biden's withdrawal was emblematic of chaos and confusion within the Democratic party.

"At this unprecedented juncture in American history, we must be clear about what just happened," Johnson said in a statement. "The Democrat Party forced the Democrat nominee off the ballot, just over 100 days before the election.

"Having invalidated the votes of more than 14 million Americans who selected Joe Biden to be the Democrat nominee for president, the self-proclaimed 'party of democracy' has proven exactly the opposite."

Johnson echoed the sentiment of other Republicans who called on Biden to step down, and claimed the party's effort to move Biden aside thwarted the will of 14 million U.S. voters who selected Biden to be the Democratic presidential nominee.

"If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately," he continued. "November 5 cannot arrive soon enough."

Comments by Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were contrary to other Republicans. In a statement Sunday he did not mention Biden by name or ask him to resign, but criticized the administration's first term record on policy issues.

"For four years, the American people have faced historic inflation at home, chaos at the border, and weak leadership on the world stage," McConnell said. "Our nation is less prosperous and less secure than it was in January, 2021. We cannot afford four more years of failure."

McConnell was especially critical of the Biden administration's efforts on border policy, inflation and efforts and slowing global climate change.

"They are selling open borders, higher prices, climate radicalism, and soft-on-crime policies, and the American people are not buying," McConnell said of the Democratic party.

Meanwhile, a coalition of former voters of Nikki Haley -- an ex-U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who had been running against Trump for the GOP nob before endorsing him -- pledged their support Sunday for Harris.

The political action committee had called itself Haley Voters for Biden, but was re-christened Sunday as Haley Voters for Harris, Newsweek reported.