Context:

In his first television interview since leaving office, Joe Biden took responsibility for Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential election, acknowledging his leadership role during the campaign. He criticized the Democrats' failure to effectively publicize their achievements, such as the infrastructure plan, and noted that their advertising was not as strong as Trump's. Biden pointed out that Trump dissuaded Republicans from supporting bipartisan border initiatives, which could have impacted the election outcome. Reflecting on his debate performance against Trump, Biden admitted it was a poor showing that contributed to the Democrats' loss. Additionally, he anticipated Trump would claim credit for initiatives that began during his administration once Trump resumed office duties, such as the collection of defaulted student loans.

Dive Deeper:

• Joe Biden acknowledged personal responsibility for Donald Trump's reelection in 2024, citing his own position of leadership during the campaign period as a key factor in the outcome.

• He pointed out that the Democrats did not effectively advertise their accomplishments, such as the infrastructure plan, which hindered their ability to gain voter support, contrasting it with Trump's successful promotional tactics.

• Biden commented on Trump's influence in discouraging Republican backing of bipartisan border plans, which may have swayed the election results in Trump's favor.

• During the interview, Biden reflected on his poor debate performance against Trump, identifying it as a significant moment that contributed to the Democratic loss.

• He also expressed an expectation that Trump would take credit for ongoing projects initiated during Biden's administration once Trump was back in office, highlighting the resumption of student loan collection as an example.

• Joe Biden is sitting down for his first TV interview.

• The 82-year-old Former President of the United States appeared on The View on Thursday (May 8), in what was his first TV interview since leaving office.

• When asked if he takes any responsibility for Donald Trump’s reelection, he said: “Yes, I do. Because, look, I was in charge and he won. So, you know, I take responsibility.”

• He also noted that Trump actively encouraged Republicans not to back the bipartisan border plans that Biden and his colleagues had been working on.

• Biden admitted the Democrats did not tout their accomplishments enough, including his infrastructure plan.

• “We weren’t quite as good as he was about advertising,” he said.

• “There’s no saying ‘Biden brought you this.’ There’s no saying ‘The Democrats brought you this.’ And we knew none of this would occur for another six months to two years. It takes time to do all that,” he went on.

• Former Pres. Biden responds to his performance at the June 2024 debate night against then-candidate Donald Trump, saying, "I had a bad, bad night."

• "We were not going to let 90 minutes of a debate define his presidency and all those years of service," former first lady Jill… pic.twitter.com/2zdNKxnSQN

• — The View (@TheView) May 8, 2025