Former Secretary of State and Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton delivered a rebuke of former President Joe Biden on Monday, declaring that his decision to seek reelection was a “terrible mistake” that damaged his legacy, crippled the Democratic Party, and ultimately helped return President Donald Trump to the White House. 

Speaking during a conversation with New Yorker editor David Remnick in New York City, Clinton effectively confirmed what Republicans have argued for years and what some Democrats only admitted after the 2024 election was already lost: Biden stayed in the race far too long. “He made a terrible mistake. He made a terrible mistake for himself, his legacy, and for the country,” Clinton said. She said that Biden should have stepped aside as early as 2023 and allowed Democrats to hold a competitive primary contest. “I believe if he had kept to that plan and said, in, say, the late summer of ’23, that he wasn’t going to run, that he was going to pass the torch to the next generation, we would have had a real contest,” she added.

More significantly, Clinton believes the eventual Democratic nominee would have defeated Trump. “Very sadly, I believe whoever emerged from that contest would have beaten Donald Trump.”

For months before Biden’s catastrophic June 2024 debate performance against Trump, voters consistently expressed concerns about Biden’s age and fitness for office.

Republicans repeatedly highlighted moments of confusion, verbal stumbles, and public appearances that raised questions about the president’s ability to serve another four years. Those concerns were routinely brushed aside by Democratic officials and allied media figures. “But once he didn’t move,” Clinton said, “and held on for as long as he did, we were in a terrible dilemma.”

Biden ultimately withdrew from the race in July after mounting pressure from donors, elected officials, and party operatives. Vice President Kamala Harris inherited the nomination without facing a single primary vote, leaving Democrats scrambling to assemble a national campaign which failed against the current president.