Biden reportedly regrets dropping out of US presidential race. Could he have beaten Trump?

US President Joe Biden regrets leaving the presidential race and believes he could have defeated President-elect Donald Trump in the 2024 election, according to sources who spoke with The Washington Post. Biden reportedly expressed these regrets to confidantes recently, claiming he was pressured by the Democratic Party to withdraw from the race in July.
No blame on Kamala
Biden and some of his aides have recently told confidantes that the president should have remained in the race and could have secured a second term, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing multiple anonymous sources familiar with the discussions.
Biden's withdrawal followed low poll numbers and a poorly received debate performance on June 27, 2024, in which he provided unclear responses and appeared to struggle with his words. Vice president Kamala Harris, who ran as the Democratic presidential nominee, subsequently lost to Trump in the general election. Sources say Biden has not blamed Harris or her campaign.

“Aides say the president has been careful not to place blame on Harris or her campaign,” the Washington Post report said.

Pressure to withdraw
The president previously hinted at party pressure in an August interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, suggesting concerns from House and Senate Democrats about their own reelection chances. He also expressed confidence in a potential victory against Trump during a September appearance on The View.

Breaking 'transitional president' promise
Many Democrats attribute Harris’s loss to Biden’s reluctance to exit the race earlier.
“Biden ran on the promise that he was going to be a transitional president, and in effect, have one term before handing it off to another generation,” Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) told The Washington Post. “I think his running again broke that concept — the conceptual underpinning of the theory that he would end the Trump appeal; he would defeat Trumpism and enable a new era.”
Some advisors acknowledge a disconnect between Biden's governing style and current political dynamics. “The president has been operating on a time horizon measured in decades, while the political cycle is measured in four years,” Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, told the outlet.
Acknowledging mistakes
Biden has recently acknowledged mistakes, including his debate performance and the handling of pandemic relief checks. He and his aides also reportedly believe they could have improved public morale during the pandemic.
Dissatisfaction with the attorney general
The Washington Post also reports Biden has expressed dissatisfaction with Attorney General Merrick Garland, claiming he was both too aggressive in prosecuting his son, Hunter, and too slow in pursuing charges against Trump related to the January 6th riots, charges that were later dismissed.