President Joe Biden and his close aides are evaluating his legacy in the waning weeks of his administration, including whether the 2024 election will define it.
Biden and several aides have reportedly told people recently that he could have beaten President-elect Donald Trump in spite of his poor presidential debate performance, low approval ratings, and growing concerns about his cognitive functions.
Biden ended his presidential campaign on July 21 following at least a month of mounting pressure from members of the Democratic Party, both publicly and privately. He initially stood strongly against calls that he end his campaign and even said only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to leave. However, by July 21, Biden announced he would step down, and shortly after, he endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris.
Months later, after the Democrats’ bruising election defeat, Biden is standing by his belief that he could have won reelection, according to aides speaking with the Washington Post. While the president acknowledged that he “screwed up” during his June debate against Trump, he has suggested he still thought his focus on America’s long-term success would carry more weight with voters than fluctuating issues such as inflation.
He also recognized the changing media landscape as a factor in his campaign’s downfall.
“We pick what news we want to hear — it’s a totally different deal,” Biden said in a podcast interview this month. “We’ve got to figure out how we deal with this significant technological change. If Nixon was more accustomed to television, he wouldn’t have perspired so much, and he would be president when he’d beat Kennedy. I know that sounds silly. But think of the changes taking place. Where do you go? What is true? We have no evidence anymore. I’m not sure how that gets resolved.”
While aides to Biden told the outlet that he was careful not to place blame on Harris, in his feelings he would have still been successful against Trump, the relationship between the two played a role on the campaign trail.
Harris was faced with coming out of the shadow of Biden and pointing to a fresher future, while at the same time wanting to show respect for him and not disparage her boss.
Biden’s longtime friend Bob Weiner shared with Times Radio following Harris’s defeat that Biden believed he could have beaten Trump.
“Well, I know he’s going through his mind,” Weiner said. “I’m sure he thinks to himself: I could have won.”
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Weiner did acknowledge that Biden was trailing Trump in the polls and in a difficult situation.
“He was losing ground, but the party made the right decision, and I think the party could have done worse,” Weiner said.