Thu Nov 07 11:08:51 UTC 2024: ## Biden Blamed for Harris’s Election Loss: Democrats Seek Answers After Trump’s Victory

**WASHINGTON** – While Joe Biden’s name was not on the ballot, many Democrats believe his decision to run for re-election until this summer ultimately contributed to Vice President Kamala Harris’s resounding defeat and Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Following Trump’s decisive victory, some of Harris’s supporters are expressing frustration with Biden’s delayed withdrawal from the race, citing concerns about his age, the struggling economy, and the ongoing immigration crisis. Andrew Yang, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, stated that “the biggest onus of this loss is on President Biden.”

“If he had stepped down in January instead of July, we may be in a very different place,” Yang asserted.

Despite leading the country out of the pandemic, solidifying international support for Ukraine, and passing a major infrastructure bill, Biden’s legacy is now marred by the return of his predecessor. Many Democrats are questioning whether his decision to remain in the race cost them the White House, especially as Trump has vowed to dismantle much of Biden’s work.

“Maybe in 20 or 30 years, history will remember Mr. Biden for some of these achievements,” said Thom Reilly, co-director of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University. “But in the shorter term, I don’t know he escapes the legacy of being the president who beat Donald Trump only to usher in another Donald Trump administration four years later.”

While Biden has stayed out of the public eye since the election, he has reached out to Democratic lawmakers and, notably, Trump. He is set to deliver a speech on the election results Thursday.

Several high-ranking Democrats have privately expressed frustration with Biden, suggesting he should have stepped down earlier in the year when polls showed a significant portion of the public was concerned about his age and ability to lead.

The Harris campaign, despite exceeding Biden’s popularity among Democratic voters, struggled to establish her own identity and distinguish her policies from his.

Strategists working with the Harris campaign argue that a more extended primary season, had Biden stepped down earlier, would have allowed Harris to more aggressively define her platform and highlight her differences with the President.

While acknowledging that the economic climate and concerns about immigration played a significant role in the election, Democratic strategists point to Biden’s delayed departure as a critical factor in their defeat.

The Democratic party faces a period of soul-searching and uncertainty as they grapple with the ramifications of this devastating loss. While there are many factors at play, the question of whether Biden’s late withdrawal contributed to their defeat will undoubtedly linger within the party for years to come.

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