In the final months of President Joe Biden’s presidency, he continues to grapple with his legacy, The Wall Street Journal reported.
“If he ran, he really thought he was going to win,” said Joe Kiani, a medical technology entrepreneur and friend and donor to Biden, to the Journal. “By not running, he was worried Trump would win. He just didn’t want to win at any cost.”
Those close to Biden say he believes because he beat President-elect Donald Trump in 2020, he could’ve done it again, mobilizing white working-class voters to his side, the Journal said. Close aides to Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden as the nominee, believe had Biden dropped out sooner, it could’ve helped her win, according to the Journal.
“It’s unfortunate that his legacy could be overshadowed by political miscalculations that ultimately ushered in a second Trump presidency,” said Hannah Linkenhoker, a Los Angeles-based Democratic donor adviser and chief engagement officer at law firm Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole to the Journal.
Most Democrats believe Biden would’ve been defeated in an electoral landslide, while White House aides said the work environment at the White House is “draining and depressing,” the Journal said.
During the campaign, Biden caused a headache when he referred to Trump supporters as “garbage” on a call with Latino activists. Aides to Harris debated how to keep Biden out of the picture, with one joking he should take a vacation, the Journal reported.
The relationship between the Bidens and Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, remains frosty, according to the Journal, though spokespeople for both Biden and Harris denied it.
Foreign trips after the election highlighted Biden’s age issues, which plagued him during his aborted re-election campaign.
In a meeting during a trip to Angola, he closed his eyes for extended periods as other leaders spoke —once for roughly 50 seconds, the Journal said.
During a ceremony at a presidential palace, Biden appeared lost and unsteady, with the Angolan president physically guiding him, according to the Journal.
Biden has also angered members of his own party with his pardon of his son, Hunter, after he repeatedly pledged not to do so. Biden confidants told the Journal that Hunter’s conviction on felony gun offenses accelerated his decline, and the family remains fearful Hunter will relapse.
People close to Biden told the Journal they do not know how he will spend his post-presidency.
“He really wants to use whatever time he has to help make things better,” Kiani told the Journal.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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