WASHINGTON ― Throughout his 2024 campaign for reelection, President Joe Biden reassured Americans of his readiness and capability to serve another four years, despite the fact that it would mean holding the world’s most influential position until he turned 86.

However, as he approaches his exit from office with President-elect Donald Trump stepping back into the White House, Biden is beginning to question his own stamina for the job.

“I don’t know,” Biden expressed to YSL News in an exclusive interview this month. “When Trump was running for reelection, I genuinely believed I had the strongest chance of defeating him. Yet at the same time, I didn’t want to be president at 85 or 86 years old. So, I discussed the idea of passing on the responsibility.”

“Who really knows?” the 82-year-old president remarked. “So far, everything is going well. But who knows how I’ll feel at 86?”

Biden’s candid acknowledgment that age is catching up with him has become part of the dialogue surrounding his legacy: With over 50 years in Washington, eight years as vice president, and four years as president, he resembles an athlete who is uncertain about when to retire.

His choice to seek reelection in 2024—despite significant concerns from both voters and party insiders regarding his age and capability to serve through January 2029—has become a critical aspect of the conversation about his legacy, which people are evaluating less on policy accomplishments and more on his hesitation to “pass the baton” earlier.

Some Democrats criticize Biden’s initial decision to run for a second term, only to end his campaign 107 days before the election, suggesting it helped set the stage for Trump’s resurgence.

His determination led to a weakened president being presented to the public during a troublesome debate against Trump in June, where he struggled to coherently respond. When he eventually withdrew from the race just a month later under pressure from influential party members, he gave his vice president, Kamala Harris, less than four months to prepare a campaign against Trump.

“It would definitely have been better for the Democratic nominee if he had decided to step back earlier. No doubt about it,” remarked Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. “Harris was disadvantaged by not having enough time to establish her case.”

‘A Pivotal Moment in Biden’s Presidency’

The key moment that influenced Biden’s choice to seek another term came after Democrats surpassed expectations in the 2022 midterm elections, preventing a widely anticipated Republican “red wave.” House Democrats suffered fewer losses than expected, and the party maintained control of the Senate, all despite Biden’s low approval ratings.

Feeling justified, Biden took pleasure in disproving his critics, convinced the election results reflected a masked approval of his policies and himself that political analysts were overlooking.

“Watch me,” Biden told the press the day after the midterms, appealing to the two-thirds of voters who indicated in exit polls that they did not want him to run again. This was a clear prelude to his formal announcement for reelection, which came in April 2023.

“The pivotal moment in Biden’s presidency occurred when he misinterpreted his mandate after the Democrats’ success in the 2022 midterms,” commented Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian and a professor at Rice University. He noted that Biden missed an opportunity to “build the Democratic Party’s future” and instead “reneged on his commitment” to be a transitional leader.

“Biden is now viewed as presiding over a failed presidency,” Brinkley added, highlighting that Democrats secured millions fewer votes in the upcoming 2024 election compared to Biden’s initial campaign in 2020. “He failed to rally the nation.”

What Biden viewed as a triumph for his agenda in the midterms, political experts argue, may have been influenced by the surge of energy in the party shortly after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, as well as the weak pool of Republican Senate candidates and the lingering effects of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack in voters’ minds. Midterm elections usually galvanize the bases of the two major parties, yet they often yield lower turnouts than presidential elections.

Post-2022 midterms, signals from Biden and the White House regarding his reelection plans effectively cleared the path for other potential Democratic candidates to enter the primary race. If Biden had opted to step aside, notable governors like Gavin Newsom from California, Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, Josh Shapiro from Pennsylvania, J.B. Pritzker from Illinois, and Andy Beshear from Kentucky could have considered running, alongside Harris.

“In hindsight, yeah,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., regarding whether Democrats would have been in a better position had Biden stepped back sooner. “But in retrospect—what does that matter? It was an extremely tight race.”

Nonetheless, McGovern pointed out, “Had we gone through a primary, and if Harris had won that primary, she would have been a stronger candidate. She would have had more time to introduce herself to the public and to address all the misinformation being spread by Trump.”

Biden’s senior aides dismiss the idea that his decision to run, followed by his eventual withdrawal, contributed to Trump’s success.

“The belief that somehow a Democratic victory was possible had Biden not encountered these setbacks is just faulty,” said a former senior adviser to Biden, who spoke anonymously to share his thoughts openly. “The American public felt frustrated, particularly regarding inflation.”

The same adviser noted that other Democrats opposed to Biden’s campaign could have chosen to run against him. “Anyone who had those sentiments could have entered the race and united to support a viable candidate.”

However, the only notable challenger Biden faced was a long-shot candidate: then-Rep. Dean Phillips, a 55-year-old congressman from Minnesota, who praised Biden’s presidency but argued for the need of fresh voices in the Democratic Party. Phillips faced ridicule from party insiders for challenging Biden and ended his campaign early in the nomination process.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York, a 35-year-old progressive who backed Biden’s reelection effort, pushed back against the post-election second-guessing, highlighting that the party establishment had also supported Biden’s decision to run again from the start.

“There is a whole party establishment here,” Ocasio-Cortez stated, “that was also on board with that decision at the time.”

Biden Claims He Could Have Defeated Trump, Most Democrats Disagree.

Since taking office four years ago, Biden has shown noticeable signs of aging. He has developed a stiffer gait, often speaks softly, and has become less willing to engage with reporters.

Nonetheless, Biden is convinced that had he continued his campaign, he could have won against Trump. “It’s somewhat presumptuous to claim that, but I believe yes, considering the polling,” Biden stated during his exclusive conversation with YSL News when asked if he could have beaten Trump.

In response to a reporter’s question last Friday, Biden said he doesn’t regret his initial decision to run for reelection.

“I think I would have defeated Trump; I could have beaten Trump. And I believe Kamala could have beaten Trump,” Biden remarked. “I thought it was essential.”

to unite the party. Even though I believed I could win again, I felt it was more important to bring the party together when there were concerns about my ability to campaign.

Biden’s comments have sparked some discussion. During the campaign, Trump consistently outperformed Biden in both national and key state polls. After Biden stepped aside, Harris quickly closed the gap on Trump’s significant leads in polls, though she ultimately lost in all seven closely contested swing states.

Many Democrats are avoiding engaging with Biden’s post-election speculation about his chances against Trump.

“We’re focusing on the future, not the past,” stated House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., when asked if he shares Biden’s view.

Biden’s Legacy in Question

As he nears the end of his presidency, Biden and his supporters are striving to highlight a legacy built on major laws he enacted during his first term. These accomplishments were delivered despite a slim Democratic majority in the Senate, paving the way for vast infrastructure investment, a revival of clean energy manufacturing, and advancements in the microchip sector to compete with China. Biden describes this as the “most significant investment in America since the New Deal.”

Additionally, Biden has highlighted his success in “reviving the economy” after taking office amid a global pandemic, rebuilding international alliances, and rallying support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion.

“On legislative success, there’s no Democrat outside of Lyndon Johnson who was more effective,” noted Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., a close ally of Biden. “You can talk about how successful (Barack) Obama and Bill Clinton were, but I believe no one matched Biden’s legislative achievements. That’s why I think history will look favorably on him.”

Clyburn, whose endorsement in the 2020 Democratic primary was pivotal for Biden’s comeback, believes Biden’s hesitation to step aside for a new candidate will not greatly affect how history judges him.

“When people see Biden’s age compared to that of the incoming president, they wonder, ‘What’s the difference?'” Clyburn remarked.

He attributed Biden’s verbal slips and errors to a lifelong struggle with stuttering and criticized the media for focusing on these missteps. Clyburn, unlike some of his Democratic peers, expressed doubt about whether Biden should have even considered stepping down to allow Harris to take the lead.

“I don’t think he should have exited the race early. Many of us question whether he should have quit at all,” Clyburn stated, asserting that he believed Biden could have overcome Trump had he continued his campaign.

Evolving Views on Biden’s Legacy

Biden exits the presidency with a varied legacy, according to biographer Chris Whipple, author of “The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House.”

“Coming into office, he faced challenges unprecedented since FDR – a collapsing economy, a once-in-a-century pandemic, climate change, racial injustice, and a foreign invasion,” Whipple explained. “He receives high praise for managing the economic crisis, leading the nation through the pandemic, and achieving significant bipartisan legislation in a divided Congress.”

On the downside, he noted that Biden did not sufficiently address the immigration issues at the U.S.-Mexico border and failed to anticipate the inflation concerns affecting working-class Americans.

Whipple added that Biden’s delay in withdrawing from the race until just four months before the election will shape how many Americans remember him, linking this determination to a history of being underestimated.

“Biden’s stubborn insistence on running for reelection, despite being arguably too old, will haunt his legacy,” he said, noting that the Democrats’ performance in the 2022 midterms reinforced this misconception of his viability for reelection.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., another close ally, suggested that Biden’s legacy may improve as time passes. He drew parallels with President Harry S. Truman, noting that Truman was initially viewed unfavorably, but historical perspective has improved with time.

“I believe assessments of Biden’s presidency will evolve in the years ahead. He will likely be remembered as a president who remained in touch with his roots, tirelessly advocated for the middle class, collaborated across party lines, and achieved significant legislative accomplishments,” Coons stated.

Coons also remarked that the Democrats’ performance in the 2022 midterms generated optimism for those running for office, while also alluding to common challenges faced by incumbent parties in elections globally over the past year.

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., predicted that twenty years from now, Biden could be regarded as one of the top ten presidents in U.S. history.

“When assessing past presidents, we rarely discuss their campaigns; we focus on their achievements during their time in office,” Daschle said.

Drawing Comparisons to Jimmy Carter

Biden’s supporters view the ending of his presidency as tragic. He takes pride in having defeated Trump, who remains notable as the only Democrat to accomplish this, yet he now finds himself replaced by Trump. Biden has consistently warned that Trump represents a threat to democracy and described the struggle against Trumpism as a “battle for the nation’s soul.”

However, this Monday, Biden will witness Trump being inaugurated as the 47th president.

<p“One of Biden’s key triumphs was preventing a second Trump term, and now, due to his decision to run again, he bears some responsibility for allowing a second Trump term to manifest,” remarked Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn. “This second Trump presidency could be disastrous.”

Interestingly, last week, Biden delivered a eulogy for President Jimmy Carter—the last Democratic president to serve just one term—who passed away at 100 with a post-presidency legacy focused on volunteerism, but also faced challenges with inflation and Middle Eastern unrest.

“For the youth and anyone in search of significance and purpose, learn from Jimmy Carter’s formidable example,” Biden stated.

However, Brinkley suggested that Biden’s last year in office, including the contentious pardon of his son, has tarnished the positive image he cultivated.

“Biden’s narrative about public service and the state of democracy now appears more like the actions of a typical politician,” said Brinkley, noted for his writings about former presidents including Carter, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Theodore Roosevelt.

“When people mention Carter, they think of human rights,” Brinkley added. “But when Joe Biden’s name comes up in his 80s, what resonates? The sentiment becomes that he overstayed his time.”

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.