Sources from the White House have stated that Joe Biden regrets withdrawing from this year’s presidential race and believes he would have defeated Donald Trump in last month’s election – despite negative polling indicators.
The United States (U.S.) President has allegedly also expressed regret over appointing Merrick Garland as Attorney General, reflecting the view that Garland, a former U.S. appellate court judge, was slow to prosecute Donald Trump for his role in the January 6th, 2021, Capitol riot while leading a Justice Department that aggressively pursued Biden’s son, Hunter.
With just three weeks remaining in his term, U.S. media reportedthat there are indications the President feels he made a mistake in withdrawing his candidacy in July after a poor performance in a debate against Trump, his White House rival, the previous month.
Biden withdrew under pressure from Democratic colleagues, with Vice President Kamala Harris replacing him as the party’s candidate. Democrats cited polls indicating an almost certain electoral defeat against Trump.
Harris’s rise to the top of the list initially generated increased enthusiasm and better polling results but ultimately ended in a decisive loss in both the Electoral College and the popular vote.
Although Biden and his aides have been careful to avoid blaming Harris, it was reported that they believe the outcome would have been different had Biden stayed in the race.
This perspective is disputed by many Harris supporters, who blame Biden for waiting too long to withdraw, leaving the Vice President little time to run an effective campaign. They also emphasize that Biden’s decision to seek a second term broke his 2020 promise to be a “transitional” leader who would pass the baton to a new generation after one term.
“Biden campaigned on a promise to be a transitional president, essentially serving one term before handing the reins to the next generation,” Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said. “His bid for a second term disrupted that idea – the fundamental concept that he would end Trump’s influence, defeat Trumpism, and usher in a new era.”
Biden’s dissatisfaction with Garland is particularly significant given that he appointed him as Attorney General the day after a Trump-incited mob attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, in a failed attempt to overturn Biden’s 2020 election victory.
Furthermore, Biden now believes he should have chosen someone else, a sentiment shared by many Democrats who feel Garland was too slow in investigating and subsequently prosecuting Trump for events related to January 6th and efforts to overturn his loss.
The slow progress of the investigation, which ultimately led to the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith, allowed Trump to avoid a politically damaging trial before this year’s election.
