Kamala Harris Concedes as Allies Critique Biden’s Role in Election Loss

In a surprising turn of events, Vice President Kamala Harris conceded her defeat to Donald Trump, igniting a flurry of discussions among her allies about the implications of President Joe Biden’s leadership. Some of her supporters pointed fingers at Biden, suggesting that his actions played a significant role in Harris’s loss. Andrew Yang, who had previously challenged Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2020 before endorsing Harris, remarked, “The biggest onus of this loss is on President Biden.”

Biden, who secured the presidency in 2020, faced mounting criticism as he sought re-election this year amid concerns regarding his low approval ratings and the public’s worries about his age. At 81, he withdrew from the race only a few months prior, following a disastrous televised debate against Trump and relentless pressure from within his own party.

High-profile Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, had been urging him to step aside. Despite the mounting calls for his resignation, Biden remained resolute for several months, insisting he was capable of handling the demands of a presidential campaign, even as polls indicated that many voters perceived him as too old for the role. Yang expressed regret, saying, “If he had stepped down in January instead of July, we may be in a very different place.”

Numerous senior Democrats, including three advisers from Harris’s campaign, shared their frustrations with Biden for not exiting the race sooner. Speaking under the condition of anonymity, they expressed that Harris, who took charge of the campaign just 107 days before the election, had insufficient time to establish her own identity and platform distinct from Biden’s.

These party members argued that had Biden stepped aside earlier, the Democratic Party could have organized a primary contest for the presidential nomination. This would have permitted various candidates to compete, clearly defining their platforms and laying a stronger foundation for a successful campaign.

Post-election polls revealed widespread public concern about soaring inflation and the immigration system, with many voters attributing these issues to Biden’s administration. In a reflective post on social media platform X, Harris’s senior adviser David Plouffe refrained from blaming Biden directly but characterized the election results as a “devastating loss.” He noted that while the Harris campaign had managed to recover from a challenging position, it ultimately fell short.

Supporters who gathered for Harris’s concession speech on Wednesday expressed their desire for her to have had more time to communicate her vision to voters. “I think that would have made a huge difference,” stated Jerushatalla Pallay, a Howard University student who attended the speech held in the heart of her campus.

Looking ahead, Biden is scheduled to address the nation on Thursday regarding the election outcomes. He previously commended Harris for leading a “historic campaign” under “extraordinary circumstances.” Biden has highlighted several accomplishments during his presidency, such as successfully navigating the country through the COVID-19 pandemic, garnering international support for Ukraine, and passing a monumental $1 trillion infrastructure initiative.

Meanwhile, Trump will return to the White House for a second term, having left office in 2020. He has vowed to dismantle many of Biden’s initiatives and radically transform the federal government established over the past four years. His party is poised to regain control of both the White House and the Senate after securing more electoral votes in critical swing states. Notably, Trump became the first Republican candidate in two decades to win the popular vote, gaining substantial support from Latino voters and increasing his appeal among younger voters and women.