Biden’s Re-Election Decision: The Unanswered Question for Democrats

In a recent interview, Hillary Clinton identified the key decision that led to President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election: former President Joe Biden Jr.’s choice to seek re-election at age 81.

She described this move as a “terrible miscalculation,” stating it cost Biden himself, his legacy, and the nation. Clinton argued that if Biden had stepped aside and allowed the Democratic Party to hold a competitive nomination process, “whoever emerged from that contest—whether it was the vice president, or a governor, or a senator or anybody else—would have beaten Donald Trump.”

Clinton noted that Joe and Jill Biden live in denial regarding Joe’s unpopularity. Even though she reported that Jill feared her husband might be having a stroke during the debate with Trump, they both believed he would have defeated him.

“It’s delusional thinking,” Clinton said, adding that this mindset was reinforced by deep loyalty from long-time supporters. The consequences of this delusion are now being felt worldwide.

The Democratic Party continues to struggle with understanding what went wrong. An unofficial autopsy report commissioned by the party initially avoided criticism of Biden’s re-election bid but later disowned it.

When pressed on whether Kamala Harris was the right candidate, Clinton stated she would have been stronger if she had emerged from a competitive nomination process. Harris ran a more successful campaign than she receives credit for: well-financed, supported by experienced strategists, and without the scandals that plagued Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign.

Despite these strengths, Harris has done little to distinguish herself since the election. A majority of Democrats now favor alternative candidates, including Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.), Governor Shapiro (D-Pa.), former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Senator Jon Osoff (D-Ga.), Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Clinton added that Harris has been caught between defending the indefensible and attacking her own administration, with no clear path to success in either the general election or the primaries.