As 2024 draws to a close, the president has one regret that looms over his tenure, overshadowing the achievements and challenges of the year.
Joe Biden apparently regrets dropping out of the recent presidential election and believes he could have beaten Donald Trump if he had stayed in the race.
Despite securing the Democratic Party nomination, the 82-year-old withdrew from the race in July amid pressure over his low polling numbers and a poor performance in a televised debate against Trump. He was replaced by Kamala Harris, who later lost to Trump in November.
It's something that has apparently been weighing on Biden's mind for months. According to The Washington Post, the president has been telling those close to him that he never should have dropped out.
"Biden and these aides have told people in recent days that he could have defeated Trump, according to people familiar with their comments," per The Post.
The report also notes that "many Democrats blame Harris's loss on Biden's insistence in staying in the race so long that by the time he withdrew, Harris had little more than three months to campaign."
The White House declined to comment on the report.
In 2020, Biden defeated Trump by a significant margin in the popular vote and the Electoral College. Biden received approximately 81.3 million votes (51.3% of the total), while Trump received around 74.2 million votes (46.8% of the total). Biden won 306 electoral votes, while Trump secured 232 electoral votes.
The voting margin was closer in 2024. Trump received approximately 77.3 million votes (49.9% of the total), while Harris received around 75 million votes (48.4% of the total). Trump won 312 electoral votes, while Harris secured 226 electoral votes.