Thehill: The Hill: Hillary Clinton's Stark Warning on Biden's 2024 Decision

Summary

Hillary Clinton believes President Biden made a "terrible mistake" by running for re-election in 2024, stating it prevented a more competitive Democratic primary and potentially a stronger outcome against Donald Trump. Clinton suggested that if Biden had announced his decision not to run in late summer 2023 and passed the torch to a new generation, a different Democratic candidate would have emerged and likely defeated Trump. She echoed similar sentiments from former Vice President Kamala Harris, who described Biden's re-election bid as "recklessness" in her memoir, arguing it shouldn't have been based on individual ambition given the high stakes. Concerns about Biden's age and health were amplified after a widely criticized debate performance in June 2024, leading to increased pressure for him to withdraw from the race. He subsequently exited the contest, with Harris taking over as the nominee, ultimately losing to Trump in November. Democrats also saw losses in Congress during that election cycle.