CNN host Jake Tapper President Biden is torn on Sunday over what he called an “illogical” claim during a recent conversation with reporters that Vice President Kamala Harris could have beaten President-elect Donald Trump.
“Well, first of all, do I think Kamala would have defeated Trump? She ran against him and lost, so this is just bullshit,” Tapper said during “State of the Union.”
Biden told reporters on Friday that his decision to withdraw was more about unifying the party. “And I think Kamala could have beaten Trump, she would have beaten Trump,” he said. According to the Mediaite website. Biden has said several times that he believes that He was going to win General election against Trump.
“I think he was trying to back off after spending the last two months discrediting her,” the CNN host added.
CNN's Jake Tapper criticized President Biden on Sunday for claiming that Kamala Harris could have beaten Trump in the election. (Screenshot/CNN)
Kate Bedingfield, a former communications aide to Biden, appeared to defend the president and said he was likely trying to give Harris “kudos” for running a strong campaign.
“I think I would have beaten Trump, I could have beaten Trump. And I think Kamala could have beaten Trump, she would have beaten Trump. It wasn't about – I thought it was important to unify the party. And when the party was feeling… Worried about whether or not I would be able to move, I thought, even though I thought I could win again, I thought it would be best to unite the party.”
Bedingfield said Tapper's analysis was unfair. “I think what he was trying to do there was acknowledge that she ran a strong race, and that he was proud of her. That's how he put it,” he said.
President Joe Biden speaks at a reception for new Democratic members of Congress in the State Dining Room of the White House, Sunday, January 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Bals Sinita)
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When asked in A USA Today interview If he would have won had he not withdrawn from the election on July 21, Biden replied: “It's rude to say that, but I think yes.” He went on to “add that he based this view on polls he had reviewed,” USA Today summed up.
CNN polls teacher Harry Enten He said Biden's claims are just nonsense.
“Based on the polling data, I rate Biden’s statement that he could have beaten Trump as completely crazy,” Enten wrote in a Wednesday X post. “Biden was well behind Trump when he dropped out. Biden never led all of 2024. No incumbent president who was as deeply unpopular as Biden has ever won.”
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“Why do I say it's completely crazy that he could have won the 2024 election if he had stayed in the race? Just take a look here,” Enten added.
He then showed the polling numbers at the time Biden dropped out of the race, especially in the Great Lake battleground states, where “Donald Trump was ahead in all three states.”
Fox News' Alexander Hall contributed to this report.
