A top Washington Post columnist has joined the fray of pundits calling on President Biden to step aside and not seek reelection.
David Ignatius, a foreign affairs columnist for The Washington Post, wrote in a column published Tuesday that Biden has built a strong legacy of accomplishments during his first few years in office, citing America’s return to the world stage and legislative victories for Democrats. He also wrote that Biden has delivered on his pledge to govern from the center.
“In sum, he has been a successful and effective president,” Ignatius wrote.
“But I don’t think Biden and Vice President Harris should run for reelection. It’s painful to say that, given my admiration for much of what they have accomplished,” Ignatius continued. “But if he and Harris campaign together in 2024, I think Biden risks undoing his greatest achievement — which was stopping Trump.”
Ignatius suggested Biden’s age is a liability heading into 2024, citing recent polling that shows a majority of voters believe the president’s age is an issue when it comes to serving a second term. Biden is 80 and would be 86 at the end of a possible second term.
The columnist and occasional novelist argued that, as a result of Biden’s age, voters may focus more on Vice President Harris, who he noted carries a favorability rating around 40 percent.
He wrote that Biden “has never been good at saying no,” arguing that he should have “resisted” picking Harris as his vice president over someone like then-Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.). Ignatius also said the now-president should have stopped his son, Hunter Biden, from joining the board of a Ukrainian energy company, which has become fodder for GOP attacks and investigations.
“Biden has another chance to say no — to himself, this time — by withdrawing from the 2024 race,” Ignatius wrote. “It might not be in character for Biden, but it would be a wise choice for the country.”
Biden has already announced a reelection campaign for 2024, and he and his aides have shown no indication that he is reconsidering. The president and his team have repeatedly brushed aside questions about his age from journalists and some elected officials, arguing that the president’s record of accomplishments and his ability to do the job on a day-to-day basis speaks for itself.
The White House this week pushed back hard against what it viewed as an unfair media fixation on Biden’s age following his five-day trip to Asia, which was capped with a press conference in Vietnam at the end of a day that began with meetings in India.
Top Democrats have rallied behind Biden as the party’s candidate heading into 2024, and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has backed the incumbent, effectively quelling any potential primary challenge.