Biden Regrets Stepping Aside, Seethes Over His AG’s Lack of Swift Prosecution of Trump
President Joe Biden reportedly regrets ending his reelection bid over the summer and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, believing he “could have defeated” now-President-elect Trump despite poor polling numbers.
According to The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources close to Biden, the outgoing 46th president also has other regrets regarding his tenure in office.
“Biden and some of his aides still believe he should have stayed in the race, despite the rocky debate performance and low poll numbers that prompted Democrats to pressure him to drop out,” the Post reported.
The article further noted: “Biden and these aides have told people in recent days that he could have defeated Trump, according to people familiar with their comments, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. Aides say the president has been careful not to place blame on Harris or her campaign.”
Another source of regret for Biden, the Post claims, was his decision to appoint Merrick Garland as attorney general. The president reportedly criticized Garland for the slow pace of prosecuting Trump while allowing federal gun and tax charges to be brought against his son, Hunter Biden. Biden allegedly chose Garland as a consensus pick based on advice from his aides, which he now regrets.
Biden made headlines on December 1 when he pardoned his son in a controversial move. The pardon dates back to January 1, 2014, during Biden’s tenure as vice president when he oversaw U.S. policy on Ukraine—a time coinciding with Hunter Biden’s lucrative role on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
The federal cases against Trump have largely unraveled since his reelection, with additional cases in New York and Georgia reportedly falling apart following Trump’s return to office.
Despite his decision to withdraw from the race, Biden reportedly remains confident that he could have beaten Trump. The New York Times previously noted in September that Biden believed he was capable of another victory over Trump, whom he had defeated in 2020.
Biden also reportedly does not regret participating in the June debate against Trump, despite widespread criticism of his performance. Sources close to Biden told the Post that he admitted to having “screwed up” during the debate, as he struggled to articulate his policies and respond to accusations. However, his regret lies with his performance, not the decision to debate Trump.
Trump ultimately defeated Harris in the general election by a margin of 2.2 million votes.
Representative James Clyburn (D-S.C.) expressed concerns about Biden’s political style earlier this year. According to the Post, Clyburn told Biden: “Your style does not lend itself well to the environment we’re currently in,” referring to the distinction between style and substance in political leadership.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan echoed this sentiment, telling the Post: “How to govern at this moment to set the U.S. up for long-term success has one answer, and how to govern to deal with midterm and presidential elections in the very short term might have a different answer. The president went with doing the things that really put America in a strong position.”
Meanwhile, some Democrats, including Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.), have directed their criticism at party leaders like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In an interview with Politico, Fetterman accused Pelosi of playing a contradictory role in Biden’s departure and Harris’s loss.
“People like [Nancy] Pelosi, she really tried to — what’s the word I’m looking for? — she embraced this ‘she’s the godmother, she’s the enforcer.’ And now she’s blaming Biden,” Fetterman remarked.
“Well, you can’t have it both ways. You got what you wanted,” he added, referring to Biden stepping aside in favor of Harris, “and now you’re still blaming Biden.”