Former President Biden Defends Timing of 2024 Withdrawal, Predicts Harris' Loss to Trump as Inevitable

In a May 7, 2025 interview with BBC Radio 4, former President Joe Biden defended his timing in withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race, asserting that an earlier exit would not have changed the outcome. Biden endorsed Kamala Harris, who lost to Donald Trump, and faced criticism for leaving her with limited campaign time. Despite internal Democratic Party frustration, Biden maintained that Harris was well-supported and that broader political dynamics, not his timing, led to her defeat.

Biden: “I Don’t Think It Would Have Mattered”

In a candid interview aired on May 7, 2025, Biden was asked directly whether he should have withdrawn from the 2024 race earlier to give his party more time to prepare a successor. “I don’t think it would’ve mattered,” Biden replied. “We left at a time when we had a good candidate. She was fully funded.”

Biden formally ended his re-election campaign on July 21, 2024, just 106 days before the general election. His decision followed a widely criticized debate performance against Donald Trump in late June, which intensified concerns about his age and mental acuity. The former president immediately endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee, but she ultimately lost both the electoral and popular vote to Trump.

Pressed again by Robinson on whether an earlier exit might have changed the outcome, Biden remained firm: “I don’t know how that would have made much difference.”

A Difficult Decision Amid Mounting Pressure

Biden described his decision to step aside as “the right decision” but acknowledged it was “a difficult decision.” He explained that his administration’s legislative accomplishments and policy agenda made it hard to walk away. “We were so successful in our agenda that it became hard for me to say, ‘I’m gonna stop now,’” he said. “I meant what I said when I started. I’m preparing to hand this to the next generation. It’s a transition government. But things moved so quickly that it made it difficult to walk away.”

Despite his insistence that the timing was appropriate, Biden’s delayed withdrawal left Harris with just over three months to mount a national campaign. Critics within the Democratic Party have argued that this compressed timeline, combined with the lack of a competitive primary, left Harris at a disadvantage against Trump, who had been campaigning for over a year.

Democratic Frustration and Internal Blame

Following the Democratic defeat in November 2024, internal party tensions surfaced. Some Harris aides and Democratic donors blamed Biden for clinging too long to the hope of defeating Trump himself, thereby limiting Harris’ ability to build momentum. Others criticized the party establishment for not forcing a more open primary process once Biden’s vulnerabilities became apparent.

Biden, however, has shown little willingness to accept responsibility for the loss. In the BBC interview, he reiterated that Harris had the resources and support needed to win. “She was fully funded,” he said. “We left at a time when we had a good candidate.”

Still, the former president’s comments have done little to quell the debate within Democratic circles. Some party members argue that Biden’s decision to run again in the first place—despite widespread concerns about his age and cognitive health—was a miscalculation that ultimately cost them the White House.

A Campaign Overshadowed by Health Concerns

Biden’s 2024 campaign was marred by persistent questions about his mental and physical fitness. His June debate performance, in which he appeared frail, raspy, and at times confused, triggered a wave of panic among Democratic lawmakers, donors, and media allies. Though Biden later attributed his performance to a cold, the damage was done.

The fallout from the debate led to mounting pressure for Biden to step aside. Within weeks, he announced his withdrawal, citing the need to pass the torch to a new generation. However, the delay in making that decision left Harris with limited time to define her candidacy and counter Trump’s messaging.

Harris’ Campaign and Defeat

Despite receiving Biden’s endorsement and the full backing of the Democratic Party, Harris struggled to gain traction in key battleground states. Trump capitalized on the disarray within the Democratic ranks and focused his campaign on economic grievances, immigration, and national security—issues that resonated with swing voters.

Harris’ campaign faced logistical challenges, including building a national infrastructure in a short period and uniting a fractured Democratic base. Ultimately, she was unable to overcome Trump’s momentum, and the Republican candidate reclaimed the presidency with a decisive victory.

Biden’s Legacy and Reflections

In the interview, Biden appeared to view the 2024 election loss as a setback rather than a personal failure. He invoked the Biden family motto—“when you get knocked down, get back up again”—and framed his political journey as one marked by resilience. “It was a hard decision,” he said. “I think it was the right decision. It was just a difficult decision.”

While Biden has not publicly acknowledged any direct responsibility for the Democratic defeat, his comments suggest a belief that the outcome was beyond his control. “I don’t think it would have mattered,” he repeated, underscoring his view that Harris’ loss was not the result of his timing, but of broader political dynamics.

Former President Biden Defends Timing of 2024 Withdrawal, Predicts Harris' Loss to Trump as Inevitable

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