Prominent Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, who is favored by President Biden and has been supportive of his presidency, has called on the 80-year-old commander-in-chief to drop out of the 2024 race.
In the opinion piece, bluntly titled “President Biden should not run again in 2024,” Ignatius asserts that Biden’s age “isn’t just a Fox News trope.”
In fact, he argues, “it’s been the subject of dinner-table conversations across America this summer.”
The eminent commentator, who has written for the paper under seven different presidential administrations, cites a recent Associated Press-NORC poll, which found that more than three-quarters of the American public (77%) — including a notable 69% of Democrats — think Biden is too old to be effective for four more years.
Ignatius’ forceful plea even comes despite him praising the commander-in-chief for “a remarkable string of wins” during his first term.
“What I admire most about President Biden is that in a polarized nation, he has governed from the center out, as he promised in his victory speech,” Ignatius, 73, wrote.
“With an unexpectedly steady hand, he passed some of the most important domestic legislation in recent decades. In foreign policy, he managed the delicate balance of helping Ukraine fight Russia without getting America itself into a war. In sum, he has been a successful and effective president.”
The strongly worded column is also notable as Ignatius is known to be one of Biden’s favorite newspaper columnists, according to Axios.
The scribe admitted it “was right” for Biden to seek the Democratic nomination in 2020 — but if the oldest-ever president doesn’t bow out now, he “risks undoing his greatest achievement — which was stopping Trump.”
He also expressed deep concerns about Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Because of their concerns about Biden’s age, voters would sensibly focus on his presumptive running mate, Harris,” Ignatius wrote.
“She is less popular than Biden, with a 39.5 percent approval rating, according to polling website FiveThirtyEight. Harris has many laudable qualities, but the simple fact is that she has failed to gain traction in the country or even within her own party.”
The veteran Washington Post writer suggested the president could allay voters’ concerns by selecting a better running mate, such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass or Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
However, he noted that “Biden has never been good at saying no” — even when the outcome injures his own political favorability or American foreign policy.
“Biden has never been good at saying no. He should have resisted the choice of Harris, who was a colleague of his beloved son Beau when they were both state attorneys general,” Ignatius said.
“He should have blocked then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which has done considerable damage to the island’s security.”
“He should have stopped his son Hunter from joining the board of a Ukrainian gas company and representing companies in China — and he certainly should have resisted Hunter’s attempts to impress clients by getting Dad on the phone,” the columnist added, hinting at Biden’s vulnerability as House Republicans announced this week they will begin an impeachment inquiry.
“Biden has another chance to say no — to himself, this time — by withdrawing from the 2024 race. It might not be in character for Biden, but it would be a wise choice for the country,” Ignatius concluded.
