Mike Donilon, who previously served as a senior adviser to former President Joe Biden, expressed strong disapproval on Tuesday regarding the decision by some Democrats to push Biden out of the 2024 re-election race.
He described the move as “undemocratic” and characterized it as a “betrayal” that he believes could ultimately cost the party the presidency.
“It felt dishonest, given the dynamics within the party. It seemed like a betrayal of the president and, frankly, it didn’t respect the wishes of the Democratic primary voters,” he remarked.
Speaking at a panel organized by USC’s Center for the Political Future, Donilon reacted to questions from CNN anchor Erex Michelson about Biden’s potential decision to step away from the campaign.
Donilon was particularly critical of those advising the president to withdraw. “I honestly thought the Democratic Party had lost its grip. That’s how I felt,” he admitted.
Various prominent Democratic figures, like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Representative Nancy Pelosi, have reportedly urged Biden to exit the race following what many viewed as a poor performance in a recent debate against Donald Trump.
He asserted that Biden represented the best chance for the party: “In my opinion, Joe Biden was the strongest candidate. I believed he had the best shot at winning the presidency and would govern effectively.” He referred to the decision to distance from Biden as a misstep.
No less than a 3-point difference in approval ratings between Biden and Trump was highlighted, which is, notably, within the margin of error.
Donilon mentioned that this situation marked an unprecedented moment in U.S. political history where a candidate was effectively replaced despite still being competitive in polls.
He pointed to a prevalent perception of Biden as potentially incapable of performing his duties. However, a former aide challenged this notion, arguing, “No one can cite a time during Biden’s presidency where he failed to fulfill his responsibilities.”
He was adamant that Biden should have remained in the race, suggesting that, ultimately, he was the only candidate who had ever managed to defeat Trump.
“Realistically, there were three contenders against Donald Trump. But only Joe Biden succeeded in beating him,” he stated.
In a previous discussion, Biden conveyed to his allies that he felt capable of winning against Trump had he continued with his campaign.
During the same meeting, Donilon also found fault with the idea of starting a brand-new Democratic campaign just months before the election, describing it as politically unwise. “I struggled to see how launching a campaign in the summer, mere weeks before the convention, would be sound strategy,” he said, although he did acknowledge that he felt he ran a strong campaign.
