Ron Klain, former chief of staff for President Biden, does not approve of what Democratic leaders and donors did in ousting the president from his own re-election campaign.
Klain appeared Wednesday on CNN, and though he wished Vice President Kamala Harris well on her 2024 campaign, he complained to anchor Anderson Cooper about the inner-party pressure campaign to get Biden to bow out of his re-election bid.
"I think that was wrong," Klain said, arguing that Biden had fairly secured the nomination through the democratic process and was set on winning the White House again.
The conversation began with Klain expressing support for Harris as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. He praised Biden for his decision to endorse her, though he ultimately expressed regret that Biden's campaign turned out this way.
Cooper prompted him, pointing out that the party appears much more unified with Harris as the nominee. "Well, I agree enthusiasm is up," Klain replied, adding, "There’s a lot of rallying around the vice president. I’m so glad to see it. It’s hard-earned and well-deserved for her."
He then aired his grievances. "But I do think, you know, the president was pushed by public calls from elected officials for him to drop out, from donors calling him to drop out. And I think that was wrong," he said.
Since Biden’s disastrous debate in June, prominent Democratic Party leaders, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., reportedly exerted heavy pressure on Biden to drop out of the race.
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The former Biden official did acknowledge that it was Biden’s final call on whether to step down, and indicated he respected the choice of Harris to run instead. "I think he made the decision ultimately and he made the right decision to say, ‘If I’m going to leave the race, I think the vice president should take over,’" said Klain.
Cooper pressed Klain, asking why putting pressure on Biden to get out was wrong. Klain clarified, "I think that — not wrong, like immoral — but I think it was unfortunate because I think that the president had won the nomination fair and square. Fourteen million people had voted for him and the vice president as vice president.
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"But again, that’s all in the past, Anderson. He decided to drop out. He decided to endorse the vice president. Her campaign is going well. We have a better chance than ever to defeat Donald Trump this fall, and to elect an experienced, talented, intelligent president to lead the country for the next four years."
