George Takei and Joe Biden
George Takei and Joe Biden (Photos: Shutterstock)

Former Star Trek actor and LGBTQ+ activist George Takei has long been a staunch supporter of Joe Biden. And he’s not backing down now. 

Following his performance in his first debate with Donald Trump last month, President Biden has faced a wave of criticism about his cognitive skills and apparent decline over the last four years. Many Democratic supporters have expressed concern about whether Biden has what it takes to beat Trump again come November. 

In a post to X last night, Takei, 87, urged Biden, 81, to continue running. 

“Ignore them, Joe. Keep running. Keep governing. They’re starting to sound like a pack of starving hyenas, and the voters can hear it clearly.”

Takei’s message has had over 19,000 likes and over 2,000 comments. Trump supporters emerged to agree with Takei’s message. They clearly believe Donald Trump, who is currently ahead in opinion polls against Biden, has a better chance against Biden than anyone who might replace him. 

Others in agreement with Takei said some sections of the media ran similar stories about Hillary Clinton in 2016, questioning her cognitive ability. 

Angie Craig

Takei has criticized other left-leaning figures and lawmakers for asking Joe Biden to step down. 

On the weekend, queer lawmaker, Rep. Angie Craig, posted a statement calling on Biden to abandon his campaign. The congresswoman from Minnesota said, “As an elected leader, I feel a responsibility to be honest about what I believe, even when it’s hard to hear. President Biden is a good man & I appreciate his lifetime of service.

“But I believe he should step aside for the next generation of leadership. The stakes are too high.”

Takei responded, saying, “I’m disappointed with this, having worked hard for your election in 2022.”

In a subsequent tweet, Takei said he would no longer support Craig for re-election.

Stephen King

Takei also reacted to a tweet from Stephen King. The famed horror author, a high-profile critic of Donald Trump, also suggested on Monday that the Democrats need a new nominee. 

“Joe Biden has been a fine president, but it’s time for him—in the interests of the America he so clearly loves—to announce he will not run for re-election,” said King yesterday. 

Takei responded, “Oh, this is your new horror story! Good one. Whew! Had me going there.”

Takei is not alone in continuing to support Biden. The majority of Democratic lawmakers have pledged—at least publicly—their support for the President to continue with his campaign.

Rep. Maxine Waters, like Takei, is older than Biden. The 85-year-old lawmaker from California appeared on MSNBC last night and again affirmed her support for the President. 

“We don’t have that many members who are talking about he should step down,” she said. “Don’t forget there are 213 Democrats and you talk about nine members and I don’t think we have a long way to go. We’re not really divided.”

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