Staffers are reporting a “depressing” mood around the White House in the final weeks of Joe Biden’s term as the president works to cement his legacy and reflects on the 2024 election.
With less than one month until President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20, White House aides told The Wall Street Journal the mood at work is “draining” and “depressing.” Biden has also expressed that he could have defeated Trump in November, the Journal reports.
Entrepreneur Joe Kiani, a major Democratic donor and friend to Biden, told the Journal, “if he ran, he really thought he was going to win.”
“By not running, he was worried Trump would win,” Kiani said. “He just didn’t want to win at any cost.”
Biden’s belief, however, is not a critique of Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign, the Journal reports. Rather, Biden believes that because he beat Trump once, he could have done it again.
Harris’s allies, meanwhile, told the Journal a few extra weeks on the campaign trail could’ve made the difference on Election Day.
White House staffers described the mood at work as ‘depressing’ and ‘draining’ following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in November, according to a new report (AFP via Getty Images)
It took Biden nearly one month to drop out of the 2024 race after his poor debate performance against Trump on June 27. When he exited the race on July 21 following mounting calls from his party to do so, he left Harris just over three months to build and execute a campaign to rival Trump.
Trump dominated Harris in battleground states, and the vice president ultimately lost the popular vote by more than 2 million.
Biden is also working to cement his legacy after a political career that spans more than 50 years, the Journal reports. The president has infused even banal White House events with retrospectives on his time in office and started sketching out the plans for his presidential library in Delaware, according to the outlet.
White House Spokesperson Andrew Bates told the Journal the president isn’t “spending his time litigating the election or engaging in counterfactuals.” Instead, Biden and Harris “are focused on delivering as many additional results for hardworking families as they can while finalizing the most groundbreaking record of any modern administration.”
Bates added that Biden admired his vice president’s campaign, while a spokesperson for Harris told the Journal the two still have a close working relationship.
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
This isn’t the first time reports have indicated Biden regrets how the 2024 presidential election played out. Last week, sources told The Washington Post Biden recently said he is confident he could have defeated Trump in November.
Despite this, he has also admitted to making mistakes throughout his presidency.
The president has privately expressed regret over appointing Merrick Garland as attorney general, saying he was too slow to prosecute Trump over the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots, the Post reported.
Biden has also admitted to “screwing up” the debate with Trump, though noted he does not regret participating, according to the Post.
The atmosphere at the White House is reportedly bleak as President Biden works to secure his legacy and promote the idea that he could have defeated former President Trump in the 2020 election. According to anonymous staffers, the mood is described as “depressing” as Biden faces challenges on multiple fronts.
Despite facing criticism and backlash from Republicans and some Democrats, Biden remains committed to his agenda and is determined to push through key initiatives such as infrastructure reform, climate change action, and healthcare reform. However, the ongoing battles in Congress and the increasingly divisive political climate have left many White House staffers feeling demoralized and frustrated.
As Biden continues to navigate these challenges, he is also facing mounting pressure to address issues such as inflation, rising crime rates, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The president’s ability to effectively address these issues and deliver on his promises will ultimately determine his legacy and impact on the country.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Biden remains steadfast in his belief that he could have defeated Trump in the 2020 election. As he fights to secure his place in history, the president is determined to push forward and make a lasting impact on the nation. Only time will tell if his efforts will be successful in the face of mounting challenges and opposition.
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White House, White House staffers, Biden, Trump, legacy, mood, depressing, Biden administration, politics, presidential election, Trump administration, political strategy, Biden vs Trump, US politics
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