A former White House aide said President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign was “gaslighting” the American public on concerns about his age.
Newsweek reached out to the Democratic National Committee via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Concerns about Biden’s age became a major issue in the 2024 presidential race that many feel haunted Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced him on the ballot, through November. Those concerns came to a head during Biden’s debate against now-President Donald Trump in June, when Biden sounded hoarse and appeared to stumble through several answers.
Despite growing concerns from Democrats and worsening poll numbers, Biden declined to withdraw from the race for nearly a month.
Democrats, for months, have been debating the reasons for their defeats. While many point to ideological or policy reasons, others say the debacle cost the party trust among voters and was a key factor in why Harris could not win back voters against Trump.
Former President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference in Washington, D.C., on June 18, 2024.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
What To Know
Michael LaRosa, who served as former first lady Jill Biden’s press secretary, slammed the party’s approach to handling concerns about the former president’s age during a Wednesday panel discussion at American University’s Sine Institute of Policy and Politics.
“I will use the term ‘gaslight’ because that’s what they were doing, the campaign, former colleagues,” he said. “The message to everybody was to make sure that you tell people ‘It’s too early. It’s too early. These polls don’t mean anything.”
He said that the message continued for about a year and a half, and the numbers didn’t move as the election inched closer.
“By denying the data that was out there publicly. By denying the really insightful journalism that, they were actually demeaning a lot of the people. It was the data denial that really bothered me,” he said.
He said it became clear to him quickly that Biden planned to run for reelection, despite many believing he would pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.
“Ultimately, the problem with deciding to run for reelection again was a misread of our mandate,” he said.
What People Are Saying
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, during a Institute of Politics at Harvard University discussion on Wednesday: “It was a firing squad, and I had never seen anything like it before. I had never seen a part do that in a way that they did. It was hurtful and sad to see that happen. A firing squad around a person who I believe was a true patriot.”
Veteran Democratic strategist David Axelrod, on CNN in January: “When you’re that old in a job this hard, it’s doubtful that one can go full steam for another four years. That was a concern that [Biden] blew through when he decided to run.”
What Happens Next
Democrats will likely continue debating the reasons for their defeats as they try to find ways to move the party forward.
