Ron Klain, President Biden’s former chief of staff, said he did not approve of Democratic Party leaders and donors’ actions to exclude the president from his reelection campaign.
Appearing on CNN on Wednesday, Klain wished Harris the best of luck in her 2024 presidential campaign, but also complained to host Anderson Cooper about the pressure campaign within the party to get Biden to give up on reelection.
“I think that was wrong,” Klain said, arguing that Biden won the nomination fairly through the democratic process and intends to win the White House again.
Speaker Pelosi asks if there’s a way back to friendly ties with Biden after Democrats pressure her to withdraw
Former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain said the Democratic push to bar Biden from reelection was “wrong.” (Screenshot/CNN)
The conversation began with Klain announcing his support for Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee, and while he praised Biden’s decision to endorse Harris, he ultimately said he was disappointed that Biden’s campaign had turned out the way it did.
Cooper noted that the party seems more united with Harris as the nominee, prompting Klain to weigh in. “Yes, I agree there’s a lot of enthusiasm,” Klain replied, adding, “There’s a lot of people rallying around the vice president, which is great. Harris is hard-earned and well-deserved.”
He later expressed frustration: “But, you know, I think the president was pushed by calls from elected officials and donors to back out, and I think that was wrong.”
Since Biden’s disastrous debate performance in June, prominent Democratic leaders, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), have reportedly been exerting strong pressure on Biden to drop out of the race.
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President Joe Biden attends the White House Creator Economy Conference at the India Treaty Room of the White House on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 in Washington, DC, USA. (Yuri Grypas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A source close to Biden acknowledged that Biden has the final say on whether to step down, and indicated that he would respect Harris’ choice to run in his place. “I think Harris made the final decision. It was the right decision to say, ‘If I withdraw from the race, the vice president should take over.'”
Cooper pressed Klain about why it was wrong to pressure Biden to step down, to which Klain replied, “I don’t think it was wrong, but I think it was immoral. But I think it’s disappointing because I think the president won the nomination fair and square. 14 million people elected Biden and his vice president as their vice president.”
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“But that’s all in the past, Mr. Anderson. He has decided to step aside and endorse his vice president, whose campaign is going well. Our chances of defeating Donald Trump this fall and electing an experienced, talented and intelligent president to lead our country for the next four years are better than ever.”
