During a recent podcast episode, David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Obama, expressed strong criticism towards an anonymous aide to President Biden. The aide had suggested that Biden would have defeated President-elect Trump in both the 2016 and 2024 elections if he had been the nominee. Axelrod vehemently dismissed this claim, calling it 'bulls---' and urging the aide to come forward with their statements instead of hiding behind anonymity.
Following Trump's projected victory in the 2024 election, Democrats have been engaging in post-election analysis, with some pointing fingers at Biden's campaign strategy. Axelrod and his co-host, Mike Murphy, agreed that had Biden been the nominee, the Republicans would have likely gained a significant advantage in the House of Representatives.
Axelrod criticized the unnamed sources providing negative assessments of Biden's campaign, referring to them as being part of a 'circle of denial' and enablers who failed to provide honest feedback to the president. Murphy went as far as to label the situation as a 'cover-up,' suggesting that there was a concerted effort to conceal the shortcomings of Biden's candidacy.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also weighed in on the issue, indicating that Biden should have dropped out of the race earlier to allow for other candidates to enter the primary. Pelosi suggested that an earlier exit by Biden could have potentially paved the way for a stronger Democratic candidate, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, to emerge.
Pelosi highlighted the challenges of conducting a primary with Biden's early endorsement of Harris, noting that it made it nearly impossible for other contenders to compete effectively. While reflecting on the past events, Pelosi acknowledged that the course of action taken was final and that the party must now come to terms with the outcome of the election.
