US President Joe Biden expressed regret over his decision to withdraw from the presidential race earlier this year, believing he could have defeated Donald Trump in the recent election, The Guardian reported.

 

In addition, Biden reportedly acknowledged that selecting Merrick Garland as attorney general was a mistake. He feels Garland, a former US appeals court judge, was too slow in prosecuting Trump for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, while aggressively pursuing cases against Biden’s son, Hunter.

 

With just over three weeks remaining in his single term, Biden's reflections were highlighted in a Washington Post profile that suggests he now sees his July withdrawal as a miscalculation following a poor debate performance against Trump. Pressured by fellow Democrats citing dismal polling numbers, Biden stepped aside, allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the party’s nominee.

 

Harris’s nomination initially generated excitement and improved poll standings but ultimately resulted in a significant loss in both the Electoral College and the popular vote. Although Biden and his team have refrained from blaming Harris directly, reports indicate they believe the outcome might have been different had he chosen to remain in the race.

 

This perspective is contested by many Harris supporters, who argue that Biden delayed too long in stepping down, limiting her ability to mount an effective campaign. They also point out that his decision to seek a second term contradicted his 2020 pledge to be a “transitional” president who would pass the torch to a new generation after one term.

 

“Biden ran on the promise that he was going to be a transitional president and have one term before handing it off to another generation,” said Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic senator from Connecticut. “I think his running again broke that concept, undermining the notion that he would defeat Trumpism and usher in a new era.”

 

Biden's concerns about Garland are particularly poignant, given that he nominated him as attorney general the day after the Capitol riot incited by Trump in an unsuccessful attempt to overturn Biden’s 2020 victory. At the time, Biden praised Garland as a figure who would restore “the honor, the integrity, the independence” of the Justice Department, which had been seen as politicized under Trump.

 

“Your loyalty is not to me. It’s to the law, to the constitution, to the people of this nation,” Biden stated during Garland’s official introduction.

 

However, according to the Washington Post, Biden was persuaded by his chief of staff, Ron Klain, to select Garland, who was previously known for his failed nomination to the Supreme Court by Barack Obama. Klain argued that Garland's reputation for fairness would reassure the public about the Justice Department's independence amid partisan tensions in Washington.

 

Despite these assurances, Biden has faced accusations from Trump of “weaponizing” the Justice Department as it pursued investigations into Trump’s actions on January 6 and the handling of classified documents. At the same time, the investigations into Hunter Biden and the president himself for document retention were ongoing.

 

Biden now believes he should have selected a different attorney general, a sentiment echoed by many within the Democratic Party who feel Garland was too slow in investigating and prosecuting Trump for January 6 and related offenses.

 

The gradual pace of the investigation, which culminated in the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith, allowed Trump to avoid a politically damaging trial before the election. Last month, Smith formally moved to conclude his two criminal cases against Trump, effectively ending them in light of the recent election outcome.