- Democrats express frustration over Joe Biden’s insistence that he could have won
- Party members blame Biden’s re-election bid for Kamala Harris’s 2024 defeat.
- Polls show a sharp decline in Democratic optimism post-election.
- Party members demand accountability as they begin rebuilding efforts.
As the dust settles on the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Democrats across the board are expressing frustration toward former President Joe Biden. Their main concern? Biden’s refusal to acknowledge his role in the party’s defeat, especially as Donald Trump reclaims the presidency.
Rather than quietly stepping aside, Biden continues to say he would have won if he had stayed in the race. But this narrative isn’t sitting well with party strategists, donors, and operatives. They believe his decision to seek a second term ultimately led to Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss to Trump.
One Democratic strategist, Anthony Coley, who worked under the Biden administration, said bluntly, “Would it be nice if Biden finally accepted and admitted he shouldn’t have run for a second term? Sure… but does it really matter at this point?” Still, he noted that history’s judgment might not be kind.
The party now finds itself in unfamiliar territory not just grappling with electoral loss but also soul-searching for a new direction. A new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center shows only about one-third of Democrats are optimistic about their party’s future. That’s a stark contrast from July 2024, when 60% expressed confidence.
Many within the party believe their entire playbook needs a rewrite. Outraising and outspending the opposition didn’t stop Trump’s momentum, and Biden’s decision to run again despite visible signs of aging and a lack of voter enthusiasm is being seen as a fatal error.
Books and reports highlighting Biden’s mental and physical condition have added fuel to the fire. In recent interviews, Biden brushed off concerns about his health, claiming his critics were wrong and defending his presidential record.
“I did a pretty damn good job the last six months,” Biden said, also claiming sexism played a major role in Harris’s defeat a comment that some Democrats say avoids accountability.
Yet, that defiance has only deepened tensions. “He needs to stop talking about what could have happened,” said a Democratic strategist, “and start talking about how he ultimately betrayed the party.”
Former Obama adviser David Axelrod echoed these sentiments, calling Biden’s 2024 bid a misstep. He pointed out that Biden’s age and signs of frailty were clear long before the campaign began, yet those closest to him didn’t step in.
“The idea that an 81-year-old man… could serve another four years always was nuts,” Axelrod said. “The people closest to him did him no favor by not telling him the truth.”
Nayyera Haq, another former Obama aide, believes Democrats are now focused on moving forward. With Biden no longer in the picture, there’s no longer a team guarding his image or protecting his ego.
According to Haq, “They want to move on and look to what’s next.”
As Democratic leaders scramble to regroup and rebuild, many believe that starts with taking a hard look at what went wrong and demanding accountability from the very top.
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