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Trump cloud on Biden’s legacy

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Aug 21, 2024 09:05 PM IST

If Trump returns in November, it will rob Biden’s fairly successful presidency of the added halo of sacrifice and pragmatism

Just a month ago, US President Joe Biden wouldn’t have been wrong in thinking that he would still be the main attraction at the Democratic National Convention (DNC). As things turned out, he was only the opening act, setting the stage for leading Democrats to endorse the party’s presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. Biden’s turn on the stage before a packed arena in Chicago virtually brought down the curtains on a storied career, with the 81-year-old reiterating that he had stepped aside from the presidential race to preserve American democracy. That was also the reason why Biden had joined the race in 2020, to block a second term for Donald Trump amid growing polarisation in American politics and society. Ever since his disastrous performance at a televised debate with Trump in June, Biden had faced pressure to make way for Harris, which he eventually did in a move that has energised the ranks of the Democratic Party and seen her drawing even with Trump in most polls.

US president Joe Biden addresses the final session of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Reuters/Eric Thayer
US president Joe Biden addresses the final session of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Reuters/Eric Thayer

While the Biden administration’s foreign policy has been under a cloud since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, especially for failing to take a strong stand on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s relentless targeting of civilians in Gaza and for not mounting enough pressure on Tel Aviv to agree to a ceasefire, the President has worked to rally support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion and worked with partners such as India and Japan on initiatives aimed at stymying China’s aggressive and coercive actions.

Domestically, Biden outperformed Trump on several fronts, providing access to affordable health care to millions and adding nearly 15 million jobs in his first three years. But, his administration struggled on immigration, which is a hot button issue. In the region, the Biden administration got off to a rough start with the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which didn’t go down well in New Delhi, but then went on to forge strong ties with India in areas such as security, emerging technologies and defence. In this, he built on the bipartisan support in the US for a more significant relationship with India.

Biden’s goodbye at the DNC showcased his pragmatism, but how he will be remembered rests on a Harris victory. A Trump return will diminish the aura of sacrifice that surrounds the fairly successful President and foreground his initial reluctance to make way for another candidate till his unsuitability became obvious. The legacy he might have hoped for hangs in balance till the November polls.

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