Biden Claims He Would’ve Beat Trump if He Stayed in 2024 Race, Blames Party Elites [WATCH]

Joe Biden has privately expressed regret over his decision to drop out of this year’s presidential race, with reports suggesting he believes he could have defeated President-elect Donald Trump if he had remained in the contest.

According to sources who spoke to The Washington Post, Biden and some of his aides have recently confided to close allies that the decision to exit the race was a mistake, and that he was capable of securing a second term if he hadn’t been pressured by his own party to step aside.

Biden reportedly regrets ending his re-election bid, claiming he could have beaten Trump, despite contrary poll indications.

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The 82-year-old president, who faced significant scrutiny due to his poor poll numbers and his underwhelming debate performance on June 27, was reportedly urged by Democratic elites to withdraw from the race in July.

Biden’s debate performance raised concerns, as he struggled with incoherent answers and appeared to stumble over his words.

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This led to widespread doubts within the party about his ability to win re-election.

Following Biden’s exit, Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee but was ultimately defeated by Trump, who will be sworn in for a second term on January 20.

Despite the loss, Biden has reportedly refrained from blaming Harris or her campaign for the defeat, with aides emphasizing that he has been careful not to publicly criticize her role in the race.

However, Biden’s own reflections on his exit from the race were made clear in various interviews.

In an August interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, Biden seemed to suggest that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi played a significant role in his decision to step down.

According to Biden, the pressure from Democratic leaders in the House and Senate was based on concerns that his continued candidacy could hurt their chances of reelection.

In a later interview with “The View” in September, Biden stated with confidence that he would have defeated Trump in the election had he stayed in the race.

His claim was not without controversy, as many Democrats have since criticized his decision to remain in the race for as long as he did.

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) expressed concern that Biden’s decision to run again contradicted his previous promise to serve only one term as a transitional figure. “Biden ran on the promise that he was going to be a transitional president,” Blumenthal told The Washington Post. “I think his running again broke that concept.”

Biden’s governance style, which some describe as old-school, has also been a point of contention among his closest advisers.

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, noted that the president’s approach to leadership has often been out of step with the fast-paced nature of modern politics. “The president has been operating on a time horizon measured in decades, while the political cycle is measured in four years,” Sullivan explained.

The president has also acknowledged some of the mistakes made during his tenure in office, including his poor performance during the debate and his failure to take credit for pandemic relief checks distributed in 2021, which he admitted was a missed opportunity.

He has further conceded that his administration could have done more to boost the morale of Americans during the pandemic, a sentiment shared by some of his closest aides.

In addition to these regrets, Biden has also expressed dissatisfaction with some of his administration’s decisions.

According to sources cited by The Washington Post, Biden privately criticized his choice of Merrick Garland for attorney general.

Biden reportedly felt that Garland had been too aggressive in prosecuting his son, Hunter Biden, while also being too slow in pursuing charges against Trump related to the January 6 Capitol riots. The charges against Trump were eventually dismissed.

Biden’s reflections on his presidency and the election have sparked debate within the Democratic Party, with some questioning whether his decision to run again and his handling of key issues contributed to the party’s eventual defeat.

As the nation looks ahead to a second term for Trump, Biden’s role in shaping the party’s future remains a subject of ongoing discussion.

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