In a recent interview with USA Today, President Biden expressed his belief that he could have triumphed over President-elect Trump had he not withdrawn from his reelection campaign.
"It's presumptuous to say that, but I think yes," Biden stated when queried by reporter Susan Page about his potential victory. His confidence, he explained, was based on polling data he had reviewed, although he did not provide further details about the source of this information.
According to The Hill, when Biden made the decision to step back from the 2024 race in late July, he was trailing Trump in both national and battleground polls. His withdrawal came under mounting pressure from Democrats, following a lackluster debate performance against Trump that sparked concerns about his age and fitness. Vice President Harris, who took over the ticket, was able to fare better against the president-elect in the immediate aftermath.
In the same interview, Biden admitted to doubts about his ability to serve another four-year term. "I don't know," he responded when Page asked if he still possessed the necessary vigor. "So far, so good but who knows what I'm going to be when I'm 86 years old?" he added. Upon his withdrawal, Biden endorsed Harris, who subsequently suffered a decisive defeat to Trump in the November elections.
Biden also reflected on his initial reluctance to run for President in 2020. He felt compelled to enter the race because he believed he "had the best chance of beating" Trump, who was seeking reelection at the time. "I also wasn't looking to be President when I was 85 years old, 86 years old," he said. "And so I did talk about passing the baton" to the next generation of Democratic leaders.
Despite his previous assertion that he would serve as a "bridge candidate" during his 2020 campaign, Biden announced his reelection bid in April 2023, a move that contradicted his earlier promise. His legacy, as he prepares to leave office later this month, will include this broken vow. This led to Harris launching a campaign that lasted just over 100 days and ultimately resulted in her loss to Trump.
As the dust settles from the November elections, the Democratic party is now grappling with the task of rebuilding after the Republicans' sweeping victory. The conservative perspective suggests that this could be a challenging endeavor, given the party's recent setbacks and the impending return of Trump to the White House.
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