Staff Reports
In a recent appearance on ABC’s The View, President Biden took to the airwaves to explain his exit from the presidential race, citing “so much success” in his first term as the reason for his departure. It seems he believes that the overwhelming achievements of his presidency have left him little choice but to step aside and let a new generation take over. It’s a curious take, especially coming from a man who not long ago asserted that he deserved another shot at the top job because his leadership and vision were worthy of re-election.
Biden’s retrospective version of events appears to spin a tale of a reluctant leader, burdened by the weight of “success” and unable to pass the baton smoothly. This explanation dances around the reality that he participated in a primary that garnered him over 14 million votes before ultimately deciding to drop out. Was the success he refers to a euphemism for the cocktail of low approval ratings and the daily barrage of crises that seem to plague his administration?
Sara Haines gets the first question and kicks off with asking him about how he "passed the torch" to Harris:
"What have these past two months felt like, and are you at peace with your decision?" pic.twitter.com/pk3fm2w4dl— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) September 25, 2024
This appearance did not lack for supportive commentary from the show’s hosts, who heaped praise on Biden while simultaneously nudging him for more details about his decision. They seemed to be fishing for any hint that the likes of Nancy Pelosi somehow pressured him. Biden’s flippant dismissal of any strain in their relationship, combined with a flutter of his eyelashes, was a moment that would have left many a political analyst scratching their heads and wondering who he was trying to convince—viewers or himself.
As the conversation turned to his age, Biden humorously fumbled through the topic, joking that it’s tough even to state his age. The collective eye-roll from conservative viewers was likely audible, given the mounting concerns over his fitness for office. Still, who could blame co-host Whoopi Goldberg for feeling aggrieved about Biden’s public ouster? Her candid sentiments struck a chord—after all, who wouldn’t be upset if their “ride or die” was tossed aside as he exited stage left?
Biden, wearing a lapel pin featuring both American and Ukrainian flags, was keen to pitch Trump as the boogeyman of NATO, warning that the former president’s potential re-election could threaten the very fabric of international alliances. However, many might question the accuracy of such claims. After all, it was Trump who advocated for NATO members to spend more on defense. Biden’s era has seen NATO expand with new members—an arguably hollow feather in his cap amid other pressing concerns back home.
In the end, the president assured everyone that he won’t be disappearing completely, as he teased about continuing his work at think tanks, perhaps hoping to keep the spotlight just a little longer. Simultaneously, Goldberg’s over-the-top gratitude for Biden’s tenure seemed to drive home the point that this was more of a celebratory send-off than a brutal interrogation. But for those watching from the sidelines, it feels more like a dramatic exit for a president scrambling to make sense of a chaotic political landscape.
