Harris Allies Blame Biden For Her Resounding Loss To Donald Trump In US Elections

Washington: Joe Biden 's name wasn't on ballot, but history will likely remember Kamala Harris ' resounding defeat as his loss too.

As Democrats pick up pieces after President-elect Donald Trump 's decisive victory, some of vice president's backers are expressing frustration that Biden's decision to seek reelection until this summer — despite long-standing voter concerns about his and unease about post-pandemic inflation as well as US-Mexico border — all but sealed his party's surrender of White House.

“ biggest onus of this loss is on President Biden,” said Andrew Yang, who ran against Biden in 2020 for Democratic mination and endorsed Harris' unsuccessful run. “If he h stepped down in January inste of July, we may be in a very different place.” Biden will leave office after leing United States out of worst pandemic in a century, galvanising international support for Ukraine after Russia's invasion and passing a USD 1 trillion infrastructure bill that will affect communities for years to come.

But having run four years ago against Trump to “restore soul of country,” Biden will make way after just one term for his immediate predecessor, who overcame two impeachments, a felony conviction and an insurrection launched by his supporters. Trump has pledged to rically reshape federal government and roll back many of Biden's priorities.

“Maybe in 20 or 30 years, history will remember Biden for some of se achievements,” said Thom Reilly, co-director of Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University. “But in shorter term, I don't kw he escapes legacy of being president who beat Donald Trump only to usher in ar Donald Trump ministration four years later.” Biden aides believe Democrats got caught up in a wave of anti-incumbency in wake of COVID-19 pandemic that upturned governments in democracies around globe irrespective of ideology. Biden tried for years to counteract trend before stepping aside to give Harris a chance, but in hindsight y view hewinds facing party in power as having been insurmountable.

Only about 4 in 10 voters in 2024 presidential election approved of how Biden handled his job as president, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. Roughly 6 in 10 disapproved, and Donald Trump won a strong majority of those voters who were dissatisfied with Biden.

Some high-ranking Democrats, including three visers to Harris campaign, expressed deep frustration with Biden for failing to recognise earlier in election cycle that he was t up to challenge. visers spoke on condition of anymity because y were t authorized to comment publicly.

Biden, 81, ended his reelection campaign in July, weeks after an abysmal debate performance sent his party into a spiral and raised questions about wher he still h mental acuity and stamina to serve as a credible minee.

But polling long beforehand showed that many Americans worried about his . Some 77 per cent of Americans said in August 2023 that Biden was too old to be effective for four more years, according to a poll by AP-RC Center for Public Affairs.

president bowed out on July 21 after getting t-so-subtle nudges from Democratic Party powers, including former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. Biden endorsed Harris and handed over his campaign operation to her.

Yang argued that Democratic Party leers also deserve blame for taking too long to push out Biden. With few exceptions, most tably Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, Democrats shied away talking publicly about Biden's .

“Why was this t coming from any Democratic leers?" Yang said. “It's a lack of cour and independence and an excess of careerism, if I just keep my mouth shut, we'll just keep on trucking along.” campaign was also sdled by anger among some Arab American and young voters over its approach to Israel's conflicts in Gaza and Leban. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an ally of Biden and Harris, said in a statement that Democrats lost thre on working-class Americans' concerns.

“Will big money interests and well-paid consultants who control Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign?” Vermont independent said. “Will y understand pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing?” Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison took to social media Thursday to push back on Sanders' critique, saying that Biden was “ most-pro worker President of my lifetime.” Harris mand to spur far greater enthusiasm than Biden was generating from party's base. But she struggled to distinguish how her ministration would differ from Biden's.

Appearing on ABC's “ View” in September, Harris was t able to identify a decision where she would have separated herself from Biden. “re is t a thing that comes to mind,” Harris said, giving Trump campaign a sound bite it replayed through Election Day.

strategists vising Harris campaign said compressed campaign timetable me it even more difficult for Harris to differentiate herself from president.

H Biden stepped aside early in year, y said, it would have given Democrats eugh time to hold a primary. Going through paces of an intraparty contest would have forced Harris or ar eventual minee to more aggressively stake out differences with Biden.

strategists ackwledged that overcoming bro dissatisfaction about rising costs in aftermath of pandemic and bro concerns about US immigration system weighed heavy on minds of voters in key states.

Still, y said that Biden h left Democrats in an untenable place.

Harris senior viser David Plouffe in a posting on X called it a “devastating loss.” Plouffe did t assign blame and said Harris campaign “dug out of a deep hole but t eugh.” post was later deleted.

At vice president's concession speech on Wednesday, some Harris supporters said y wished vice president h h more time to make her pitch to American voters.

“I think that would have me a huge difference," said Jerushatalla Pallay, a Howard University student who attended speech at center of her campus.

Republicans are poised to control White House and Senate. Control of House has yet to be determined.

Matt Bennett, executive vice president at Democratic-aligned group Third Way, said this moment was most devastating party has faced in his lifetime.

"Harris was dealt a really b hand. Some of it was Biden's making and some maybe t," said Bennett, who served as an aide to Vice President Al Gore during Clinton ministration. “Would Democrats fare better if Biden h stepped back earlier? I don't kw if we can say for certain, but it's a question we'll be asking ourselves for some time.”