Former Biden Official Says Ex-President’s Interviews Are ‘Not Helpful for the Democratic Brand’
AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File
A former Justice Department official in the Biden administration slammed Joe Biden Friday, calling his media appearances damaging to the Democratic Party.
Anthony Coley, who served as spokesman for Attorney General Merrick Garland, was among numerous Democrats who slammed Biden’s Thursday interview on ABC’s The View.
“Elections are about the future. Every time Joe Biden emerges, we fight an old war,” Coley told The Hill on Friday. “Every interview he does provides a contrast to Trump that’s just not helpful for the Democratic brand, which needs trusted messengers and fighters who can reach independents and moderates and inspire the base. Joe Biden ain’t that.”
Coley concluded, “Honestly, what good does that do now? Many Democrats — from elected leaders to the party faithful — are just ready to turn the page. I just don’t think he understands how wide and deep this sentiment is.”
Biden sat down with the ladies of The View on Thursday and defended his decision to remain in the 2024 race until late July. He falsely stated former Vice President Kamala Harris had “six full months” to campaign after he exited the race.
The former president also attributed racism and misogyny to Harris’s defeat, telling the hosts, “I wasn’t surprised because they went after her in a way that was, in my view, sexist and racist.”
Coley was not the only Democrat to slam the interview on the record in comments to The Hill.
“There is a way for President Biden to build his postpresidency, but this isn’t it,” said Steve Schale, a longtime Biden ally and Democratic fundraiser. “I really wish he’d embrace the thing that’s been his calling card for 50 years: his humanity.”
Schale said Biden should take a retirement approach similar to that of late President Jimmy Carter.
“By the end of his life, we were reminded of the decent and humble nature of the man thanks to his acts, not his words,” Schale said. “I really wish Biden would follow a similar path.”
“Get out and work in the community,” he concluded. “Let the images of his human interactions and the stories they tell rebuild the brand. That’s way more powerful than playing pundit.”
