According to a recent report, President Joe Biden privately regrets his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, believing he could have defeated Donald Trump despite the challenges his campaign faced earlier in the year.
The Washington Post cited sources familiar with Biden’s discussions, reporting that the president expressed confidence in his chances against Trump during conversations with close friends. This comes despite his widely criticized debate performance on June 27 and low approval ratings, both of which contributed to calls for him to step aside.
In the aftermath of the debate, Democratic leaders began urging Biden to withdraw, fearing he could not effectively challenge Trump. By midsummer, waning donor confidence further eroded his campaign’s viability. On July 21, Biden officially withdrew from the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Harris went on to lose to Trump in November by 2.2 million votes.
According to the New York Post, Biden has refrained from publicly blaming Harris for the loss but told aides that he believes he would have won had he stayed in the race. This sentiment aligns with a New York Times report from September, which noted that Biden maintained faith in his ability to prevail against Trump even after stepping aside.
The report also revealed Biden’s private reflections on key decisions made during his presidency, including his regret over appointing Merrick Garland as attorney general. Sources claim Biden was initially persuaded to nominate Garland as a consensus choice. However, he has since criticized Garland for what he views as a slow response in prosecuting Trump and an excessively harsh approach to the investigation into his son, Hunter Biden.
These reflections highlight the lingering impact of Biden’s decision to exit the race, leaving his party grappling with the aftermath of the 2024 election outcome.
