Democrats seethe over Biden's return to public eye: report
Democrats are reportedly furious with former President Joe Biden's return to the spotlight following his interview Thursday on "The View," according to a Friday report from The Hill.
Biden is facing heat from fellow Democrats who claim the former president is holding the party back by continuing to put himself in the spotlight as concerns about his mental sharpness while in office resurface.
Former First Lady Jill Biden stepped in to assist her husband after he struggled to answer a question about his mental acuity during his appearance on 'The View' Thursday.
"Elections are about the future. Every time Joe Biden emerges, we fight an old war," Democratic strategist and former Biden administration official Anthony Cole told The Hill. "Every interview he does provides a contrast to Trump that’s just not helpful for the Democratic brand, which needs trusted messengers and fighters who can reach independents and moderates and inspire the base. Joe Biden ain’t that."
While Cole acknowledged that it was "good" that Biden took responsibility for some of the party's failures leading up to President Donald Trump's win in 2024, he questioned whether it makes any difference now.
"Honestly, what good does that do now? Many Democrats — from elected leaders to the party faithful — are just ready to turn the page. I just don’t think he understands how wide and deep this sentiment is," Cole asserted.
Other Democrats were even less impressed with his appearance on Thursday, claiming he didn't go far enough in accepting responsibility for 2024.
One Democratic strategist argued that Biden needs to "take responsibility for his actions" and "own up to the fact that he caused Democrats to lose."
"I don’t think there’s a willingness to cop to the fact that he should never have run again in the first place," the strategist noted. "Why can’t he come out and acknowledge that part of this is on him?"
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Steve Schale, a longtime Biden ally who helped run a pro-Biden super PAC in recent election cycles, urged Biden to emphasize his "humanity" over public appearances that highlight his decline.
"There is a way for President Biden to build his post-presidency, but this isn’t it," Schale asserted. "I really wish he’d embrace the thing that’s been his calling card for 50 years: his humanity."
Schale told The Hill that he would prefer Biden to take a page out of former President Jimmy Carter's book, and focus on community outreach rather than preserving his legacy.
"By the end of his life, we were reminded of the decent and humble nature of the man thanks to his acts, not his words," he said. "I really wish Biden would follow a similar path."
Biden's recent interviews come amid a slew of new books which delve into the final days of the Biden administration, including accusations that the then-president's mental acuity was declining while in office.
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The former president and his wife shot down these accusations during Thursday's interview, with the former first lady noting, "The people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us."
An unnamed Democratic strategist told The Hill that the narrative surrounding Biden's mental acuity is not going away, and will be something that future candidates will have to answer for.
"There’s a good chance that the most significant litmus test for any Democrat in the 2028 field will be how and if they admonish Biden for the political judgment in the final 18 months of his political career," the strategist claimed.
Some Democrats are questioning why the interview was even necessary, as younger Democrats are increasingly emerging as the party’s future leaders.
"I don’t know who’s asking for this," Democratic strategist Jon Reinish said. "I actually think that a lot of people are starting to pay much more attention to a younger generation of Democrats free of baggage and who are finally starting to move the party away from folks who stayed too long at the fair."
Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden team for comment, but did not immediately hear back.