Washington Post columnist Matt Bai criticized President Biden for clinging to power too long, saying his legacy will be that he “didn’t know when to leave.” Bai wrote that Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race was a mistake, and that he will be remembered as a man who didn’t know when to leave.
Bai noted that Biden’s poor debate performance against President-elect Donald Trump in June was a clear indication that he should have dropped out of the race. He also criticized Biden’s senior aides and the media for fostering a delusion that he could still win the election.
Bai described what might have been Biden’s thought process in the final year of his presidency, saying he didn’t want to yield power. He also noted that Biden thought he was the best option to beat Trump, despite his abysmal approval ratings.
After Harris lost, Biden reportedly felt regretful about dropping out, and still believed he would have beaten Trump. Bai concluded that Biden’s decision to run again was a self-evidently foolish act of denial, and that his legacy will be that he didn’t know when to leave.
Bai also criticized the Democratic aides and leaders who thought voters could be made to distrust their own experience, saying that Biden has always served his country ably and with integrity, but that his closest aides and leaders did not.
