Obama Concerned For His Legacy After Trump Win: Biographer
Former President Obama is reportedly anxious about his legacy after Vice President Kamala Harris suffered a significant loss to President-elect Donald Trump.
According to his biographer, David Garrow, Obama’s “tone-deaf and clueless” approach before the election, particularly in how he spoke to voters, has sparked criticism, The Daily Mail reported. Garrow argued that Obama’s way of “talking down” to voters might erode his political influence. “People do not want to be talked down to, no matter who they are,” Garrow remarked. “I thought it was tone-deaf and clueless for them to preach as they did… I think it reduces their relevance to Bill Clinton territory.”
Garrow suggested that Obama is now “nervous” about how his presidency will be remembered, especially after Trump’s victory over Harris. “He has been and remains extremely concerned and nervous about his historical legacy,” he added. “That has certainly taken a big hit with Trump once again triumphing.”
The biographer believes that Democrats may reconsider having former leaders, including Obama and Hillary Clinton, campaign in the future. “The conclusion for Democrats is that they’ve got to dispense with these people from the past... and move to a new generation of figures who are not in the AOC club at all,” Garrow suggested.
Still, Garrow acknowledged Obama’s continued star power, likely keeping his demand for high speaking fees strong. “He still has the celebrity factor of being an ex-president,” he noted. Garrow anticipates that Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama may spend less time in Washington and more time “hanging out with celebrities and living on Martha’s Vineyard.” He added, “They’re not under any financial pressure... I don’t expect them to sell the DC house.”
On the topic of Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, Garrow doesn’t believe Obama pressured Biden to step aside. Instead, he credits Nancy Pelosi for that shift, suggesting that if Biden had sensed pressure from Obama, it would have “backfired” due to longstanding tensions.
In a public statement after Harris’s defeat, Obama acknowledged some challenges facing the Democratic Party. “As I said on the campaign trail, America has been through a lot over the last few years... These conditions have created headwinds for democratic incumbents around the world, and last night showed that America is not immune,” Obama wrote. He added that solutions are achievable, “but only if we listen to each other, and only if we abide by the core constitutional principles and democratic norms that made this country great.”