Biden's Legacy In Ruins After Trump Triumph

Joe Biden hoped Kamala Harris would salvage his bequest arsenic the antheral who saved America from Donald Trump. Instead, it lies successful tatters.

The 81-year-old's pridefulness made him defy increasing concerns astir his age, wellness and intelligence acuity until it was excessively late, and a disastrous statement against Trump forced him to driblet his bid for a 2nd word hardly 3 months earlier Election Day.

Biden formed the determination arsenic a determination to "pass the torch" to a caller procreation of enactment successful the signifier of his vice president, whom helium endorsed arsenic the caller Democratic nominee.

Had Harris won, the rows implicit his property and refusal to bow retired earlier would person been forgiven by the Democratic Party.

Biden would person been capable to observe a database of achievements successful his 1 word that included guiding the state retired of the Covid crisis, passing historical legislation, gathering infrastructure and promoting greenish energy.

On the overseas beforehand helium helped Ukraine's combat against Russia's penetration and hoped, against hope, that helium could inactive extremity Israel's struggle successful Gaza.

US presidents famously ever person an oculus connected the mode they volition beryllium judged by history, and it was truthful successful his involvement that Harris should triumph against Trump.

Harris was "very overmuch a bequest project," for Biden, said Frank Sesno, a prof astatine George Washington University and erstwhile White House correspondent.

But Democrats are present apt to justice Biden acold much harshly.

His bid for a 2nd word was "perhaps a small spot of arrogance, oregon over-reaching," Alex Keena, an subordinate prof of governmental subject astatine Virginia Commonwealth University, told AFP.

Back successful 2020 Biden had tally connected a committedness to beryllium a transitional president, but his determination to question 4 much years meant that erstwhile helium dropped retired determination was nary clip for a due superior to find a replacement.

"It was a missed accidental for the Democrats to nominate idiosyncratic with wide appeal," said Keena.

"Granted, they mightiness person nominated Kamala Harris... but arsenic a result, the state didn't get a accidental to truly cognize Kamala Harris oregon spot her combat for the Democratic base."

- 'Terrible feeling' -

In information Biden had convinced himself that having beaten Trump once, helium was the lone antheral who could bushed him again.

It was successful quality for a arrogant and often stubborn antheral who loved to mention his family's mantra that "when you get knocked down, get backmost up again."

From playground punch-ups to a stutter to the unspeakable calamity of losing his woman and babe girl successful a car crash, Biden had agelong seen his beingness arsenic a bid of comebacks against intolerable odds.

Biden adjacent said Trump's archetypal word was an "aberration."

But present it is Trump making the comeback -- and it is Biden's azygous word successful bureau that volition beryllium the outlier betwixt 2 Trump terms.

Biden's remaining 2 and a fractional months successful bureau volition spot him effort to salvage what helium tin of the bequest helium craves.

The Democrat began the effort wrong hours of Trump's victory, reaching retired to invitation him to the White House and promising a peaceful modulation of powerfulness -- a stark opposition to the Republican's unprecedented refusal to bash the aforesaid erstwhile helium mislaid to Biden.

He volition code the federation connected Thursday to "discuss the predetermination results and the transition," the White House said.

Biden is seeking to prehend the motivation precocious crushed implicit a antheral who not lone wouldn't judge the 2020 predetermination result, but tried to clasp onto power, stymied the modulation process and refused to be the incoming Democrat's inauguration.

But it won't travel easy.

"That's got to beryllium a unspeakable feeling," said Keena, adding that Biden would person to "make a determination astir however cordial helium is."

Biden volition besides cognize that Trump is apt to instantly acceptable astir dismantling cardinal parts of his achievements, from greenish vigor to his backing of Ukraine.

"Knowing that Trump is going to effort precise hard to undo his legacy, it has to beryllium that has to beryllium a unspeakable mode to spell retired for idiosyncratic who's served for truthful galore years successful nationalist service," Keena added.