WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers were quick to respond to President Biden’s not-so-surprising departure from the 2024 presidential race on Sunday — with some calling on the 81-year-old to also resign from office with roughly four months left on the job.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) was among the first to call for Biden to step down from office, not just the Democratic ticket, given concerns over his mental acuity following his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27.

“Now that Biden has done the right thing for Democrats, will he do the right thing for the country?” Issa said in a post to X.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) agreed, posting to X that “for the good of the country, @JoeBiden should step down and resign.”

“If Joe Biden isn’t capable enough to seek re-election, he’s not capabale [sic] enough to remain serving as our President,” he wrote.

Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) also said that if Biden “is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President.”

“I’m calling on him to resign immediately,” he said. “Democrat Powerbrokers have known for five years how unfit to lead our nation he has been. They, and their media partners, have covered it up and lied about it.”

“Don’t forget: Biden’s terrible record is Kamala Harris’ terrible record,” he added, referencing the vice president and presumed front-runner for the top of the Democratic ticket.

 National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman Steve Daines (R-Mont.) in a statement said that “if Joe Biden is no longer capable of running for re-election, he is no longer capable of serving as President.” 

“Being President is the hardest job in the world, and I no longer have confidence that Joe Biden can effectively execute his duties as Commander-in-Chief,” he said. “It is out of concern for our country’s national security that I am formally calling on President Biden to resign from office.” 

Daines said he found it “striking” that endorsements for Vice President Kamala Harris to taken Biden’s place have been few so far. Still, Biden himself pledged his support for his VP to take over the top spot on their ticket.

What to know about President Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race:

• President Biden announced Sunday he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race — after weeks of prominent Democrats and donors calling on him to withdraw following his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate.
• In a letter posted on X Sunday afternoon, Biden admitted that it is in the “best interest of my party and country” for him to step down as the Democratic nominee.
• Biden wrote that he intends to serve out the remainder of his term and will address the country on his decision later this week.
• In a follow-up X post, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the suddenly open Democratic nomination. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” the president wrote.
• Former President Donald Trump reacted to the news by labeling Biden the “worst president in the history of our country” in a call with CNN.

“It has … been striking that none of the Senate Democrats who served with Vice President Harris (during her time in the Senate) have called for her to replace President Biden,” he said. “This leads me to believe they think she is unqualified to serve as Commander-in-Chief.”

Calls for Biden to resign did not end with Capitol Hill. Several GOP leaders and former Trump administration officials also expressed concerns over the president’s ability to make crucial decisions for the country before Inauguration Day.

“While many Republicans would prefer running against Biden — the president’s decision not to run for reelection is best for our country, despite his hand being forced,” former Trump administration State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on X.

“Now Biden should resign so at least someone capable can make decisions until Jan 25,” she added.

Rep. Dan Meuser (D-Pa.) in a statement mused that “Democrat leaders deceived the American people for well over a year by hiding the realities of Biden’s mental decline and failed policies.” 

“They knew Biden was unfit to serve, yet claimed what we were seeing with our own eyes were ‘deep fakes,'” he said. “Now the Democrat machine and leftwing media has forced him out, circumventing the will of their voters.”

“We must question if the administration’s goal of self-preservation outweighed their obligation and sworn oath to uphold the Constitution and protect the American people,” he added, without saying whether Biden should exit office.

As far as the race is concerned, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said he was unconcerned that a change to the Democratic ticket would hurt Trump’s chances of taking back the White House in November.

“The American ppl are sick & tired of the Biden-Harris open border policies + high cost of living crushing family budgets,” he wrote on X. “A change in candidate doesn’t fool anyone Changing horses midstream isn’t going to stop the bad policies +reckless agenda at the top of the Democrat ticket.”

Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), known for his playful posts to X, took a less serious approach in his response to the news, noting the irony of ice cream lover Biden dropping out on Sunday.

“Today is National Ice Cream Day,” he wrote. “Coincidence? No chance!”