Joe Biden gets blamed by Harris allies for the vice president’s resounding loss

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden’s sanction wasn’t connected nan ballot, but history will apt retrieve Kamala Harris’ resounding conclusion arsenic his nonaccomplishment too.

As Democrats pick up nan pieces pursuing President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory, immoderate of nan vice president’s backers are expressing vexation that Biden’s determination to activity reelection until this summertime — contempt longstanding elector concerns astir his property and unease astir post-pandemic ostentation arsenic good arsenic nan U.S.-Mexico separator — each but sealed his party’s nonaccomplishment of nan White House.

“The biggest onus of this nonaccomplishment is connected President Biden,” said Andrew Yang, who ran against Biden successful 2020 for nan Democratic information and endorsed Harris’ unsuccessful run. “If he had stepped down successful January alternatively of July, we whitethorn beryllium successful a very different place.”

Biden will time off agency aft starring nan U.S. retired of nan worst pandemic successful a century, galvanizing world support for Ukraine successful nan aftermath of Russia’s invasion and passing a $1 trillion infrastructure bill that will effect communities for years to come.

But having tally 4 years agone against Trump to “restore nan psyche of nan country,” Biden will make measurement aft conscionable 1 word for his contiguous predecessor, who overcame 2 impeachments, a felony condemnation and an insurrection launched by his supporters. Trump has vowed to radically reshape nan national authorities and rotation backmost galore of Biden’s priorities.

“Maybe successful 20 aliases 30 years, history will retrieve Biden for immoderate of these achievements,” said Thom Reilly, co-director of nan Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy astatine Arizona State University. “But successful nan shorter term, I don’t cognize he escapes nan bequest of being nan president who hit Donald Trump only to usher successful different Donald Trump management 4 years later.”

The president connected Wednesday stayed retired of show for nan 2nd consecutive day, making congratulatory calls to Democratic lawmakers who won downballot races arsenic good arsenic 1 to Trump, who he invited for a White House gathering that nan president-elect accepted.

Biden is group to present a Rose Garden reside Thursday astir nan election. He issued a connection soon aft Harris delivered her concession reside connected Wednesday, praising Harris for moving an “historic campaign” nether “extraordinary circumstances.”

Some high-ranking Democrats, including 3 advisers to nan Harris campaign, expressed heavy vexation pinch Biden for failing to admit earlier successful nan predetermination rhythm that he was not up to nan challenge. The advisers said connected nan information of anonymity because they were not authorized to remark publicly.

Biden, 81, ended his reelection run successful July, weeks aft an abysmal statement capacity sent his statement into a spiral and raised questions astir whether he still had nan intelligence acuity and stamina to service arsenic a reliable nominee.

But polling agelong beforehand showed that many Americans worried astir his age. Some 77% of Americans said successful August 2023 that Biden was excessively aged to beryllium effective for 4 much years, according to a poll by nan AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs.

The president bowed retired connected July 21 aft getting not-so-subtle nudges from Democratic Party powers, including erstwhile President Barack Obama and erstwhile House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He endorsed Harris and handed complete his run cognition to her.

Harris managed to spur acold greater enthusiasm than Biden was generating from nan party’s base. But she struggled to separate really her management would disagree from Biden’s.

Appearing connected ABC’s “The View” successful September, Harris was not capable to identify a determination wherever she would person separated herself from Biden. “There is not a point that comes to mind,” Harris said, giving nan Trump run a sound wound it replayed done Election Day.

The strategists advising nan Harris run said nan compressed run timetable made it moreover much difficult for Harris to differentiate herself from nan president.

Had Biden stepped speech early successful nan year, they said, it would person fixed Democrats capable clip to clasp a primary. Going done nan paces of an intraparty title would person forced Harris aliases different eventual nominee to much aggressively liking retired differences pinch Biden.

The strategists acknowledged that overcoming wide dissatisfaction among nan American electorate astir rising costs successful nan aftermath of nan coronavirus pandemic and wide concerns astir nan U.S. migration strategy weighed dense connected nan minds of voters successful cardinal states.

Still, they said that Biden had near Democrats successful an untenable place.

Harris elder advisor David Plouffe successful a posting connected X called it a “devastating loss.” Plouffe didn’t delegate blame. He noted nan Harris run “dug retired of a heavy spread but not enough.”

At nan vice president’s concession speech connected Wednesday, immoderate Harris supporters said they wished nan vice president had had much clip to make her transportation to American voters.

“I deliberation that would person made a immense difference,” said Jerushatalla Pallay, a Howard University student who attended nan reside astatine nan halfway of her campus.

Republicans are poised to power nan White House and Senate. Control of nan House has yet to beryllium determined.

Matt Bennett, executive vice president astatine nan Democratic-aligned group Third Way, said this infinitesimal was nan astir devastating nan statement has faced successful his lifetime.

“Harris was dealt a really bad hand. Some of it was Biden’s making and immoderate possibly not,” said Bennett, who served arsenic an adjutant to Vice President Al Gore during nan Clinton administration. “Would Democrats fare amended if Biden had stepped backmost earlier? I don’t cognize if we tin opportunity for certain, but it’s a mobility we’ll beryllium asking ourselves for immoderate time.”

___

Associated Press writer Matt Brown contributed to this report.