Former President Joe Biden expressed that he wasn’t really surprised by former Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss to President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. He attributed this outcome to underlying issues of sexism and racism.
During a conversation with co-host Sarah Haynes, Biden reflected on whether he was taken aback by Harris’s defeat in November. “I wasn’t surprised, not because I don’t believe she’s qualified. She absolutely has the right to be President. I was, however, surprised—there’s no doubt that sexism played a role, along with racial dynamics,” Biden noted.
Biden elaborated, suggesting that liberal democracy faced challenges across the country during the recent election cycle. He thinks we might be underestimating the significant negative impacts of COVID-19 on public perception and politics.
After Biden withdrew from the race on July 21, following what many considered a poor debate performance against Trump, he gave Harris the endorsement to take his place.
When asked if he had spoken with Harris about her future plans, Biden said she sought his opinion but didn’t disclose what she had in mind.
Biden described his decision to exit the race as challenging but asserted it was the right choice. “It was tough to say it was time to step back,” he admitted, adding that he believed passing leadership to a new generation was necessary.
In a recent BBC interview, he addressed Trump’s foreign policy and commented on his timing for leaving the race, emphasizing that it could have been manageable to withdraw earlier if needed. “We departed the race when we had an excellent candidate: Harris,” he stated.
Biden concluded by reflecting on the successful agenda of his term, recognizing that transferring leadership is not something easily done overnight. “We felt it was essential to prepare for the next generation,” he remarked.
