Beto O'Rourke Says Biden 'Failed This Country' by Running for a Second Term

Beto O'Rourke blamed Joe Biden for paving the way to Donald Trump's return to power, saying the former president "failed this country" by running for a second term despite clear signs he was unfit to serve.

Former President Biden announced his 2024 re-election bid amid growing Democratic unease over his age and perceived cognitive decline. Despite internal warnings and poor polling, Biden moved forward, facing Donald Trump in a high-stakes debate on June 27, 2024, which ended in a widely criticized performance.

Less than a month later, Biden dropped out and endorsed Kamala Harris as the new Democratic nominee.

In an appearance on Pod Save America, former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke joined a wave of Democratic voices criticizing Biden's decision to seek re-election. O'Rourke argued that Biden and his advisers ignored political reality and put personal ambition ahead of the party's ability to defeat Trump, contributing to a loss that has since upended U.S. democratic institutions.

Trump reclaimed the presidency in January 2025, defeating Harris and becoming the oldest person ever inaugurated. His administration has since enacted sweeping changes, including staffing and budget cuts, controversial deportations, trade wars, and attacks on judicial independence—policies O'Rourke and others argue could have been avoided had Biden exited the race earlier.

The Democratic Party continues to grapple with the fallout from the 2024 election. While Biden's team maintains that age alone wasn't disqualifying, a reckoning is underway over how the decision to delay his withdrawal may have reshaped the future of the Democratic Party—and the country.