Biden Doubts His Legacy As He Hands Over Power To The Man He Called ‘A Threat To Democracy’

“You can’t love your country only when you win.” President Joe Biden has repeated this phrase to attack former President Donald Trump for years. 

However, the sentence held a different weight after he acknowledged Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss from the White House Rose Garden last month. Instead of celebrating his accomplishments in his presidency, he is now preparing to be displaced by a man he believes is an existential threat to democracy.

In the speech, Biden tried to remain upbeat to comfort Americans who were scared of another Trump term. “Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable. We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character, as my dad would say, is how quickly we get back up,” said Biden. “Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one of the other. We accept the choice the country made.”

“Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up,” Biden said while also trying to push back on questions of election integrity. “It is honest, it is fair, and it is transparent, and it can be trusted – win or lose.”

Biden acknowledged Trump’s victory in his remarks. Harris and Biden conceded defeat and congratulated Trump on his triumph, which Trump never did when Biden won the 2020 election.

Since that speech, Biden has spent much of his time trying to cement his legacy with a trip to Africa and the Amazon. He has instructed his staff to “run through the tape,” with a special focus on spending funds from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and CHIPs Act, which Trump is likely to try and repeal 

“The Biden administration got a huge amount done, as you’ve heard me recite with great frequency. I do think the party has some soul-searching to do,” commented Biden’s friend Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware).

Biden addressed none of this criticism but remained optimistic during his remarks in the Rose Garden. “The road ahead is clear, assuming we sustain it,” he noted.