Potential 2028 Democrats admit Biden’s reelection bid hurt the party and question his cognitive fitness in hindsight.

Democratic Contenders Confront Biden Legacy

As the 2028 presidential race begins to take shape, Democratic hopefuls are facing early scrutiny over their positions on former President Joe Biden’s decision to seek reelection in 2024. Speaking during a visit to Iowa this week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg admitted that the party may have been better off had Biden not run for a second term. “With the benefit of hindsight, I think most people would agree that that’s the case,” Buttigieg stated.

His remarks came during an impromptu exchange with reporters after a town hall event with veterans and military families. Buttigieg’s candid response reflected the growing introspection among Democrats following significant losses in the 2024 elections, including the presidency, the Senate, and the failure to reclaim the House majority.

Key figures in the party are now being asked to account for Biden’s final year in office, particularly in light of a new book, “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.” The book alleges that the White House concealed evidence of Biden’s cognitive decline, a claim that has reignited debate about the former president’s fitness to serve.

Biden withdrew from the race in July 2024 after a widely criticized debate performance against then-challenger Donald Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris replaced him as the nominee but ultimately lost the election.

Party Leaders Speak Out

Representative Ro Khanna of California, who campaigned vigorously for Biden in 2024, acknowledged that the party made a mistake. “Joe Biden should not have run for reelection, and we should have had an open primary,” Khanna wrote on social media. He added, “Obviously we did not have the full picture, and in hindsight it is painfully obvious that President Biden should have made the patriotic decision not to run.”

Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut also weighed in, stating, “There’s no doubt about it,” when asked if Biden experienced cognitive decline. “Obviously, in retrospect, we should have done something different,” he told Politico, emphasizing that Biden’s persistence damaged Democratic prospects.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, another potential contender, offered a more guarded perspective, noting she did not observe Biden frequently during the campaign. Still, she admitted recent revelations have made her question previous assumptions about his condition. “It does make me question a lot of the things I thought I knew,” Whitmer told CNN.

The candid reflections among top Democrats underscore the internal challenges facing the party as it prepares for the next electoral cycle. While opinions vary on how much they knew or should have acted during the 2024 campaign, there is general agreement that the focus must now shift toward the future.

“We’re not in a position to wallow in hindsight,” Buttigieg concluded. “We’ve got to get ready for some fundamental tests of the future of this country and this party.”