From the Bulwark…..
Biden aides want back in
His article provided some modest insights into the current media and digital landscape and the changes that Democrats need to make within it. And it raised more than a few eyebrows among Flaherty’s contemporaries, who wondered whether the person in charge of shaping the Democratic party’s digital media strategy over the past few years was best suited to be charting out its future course.
But Flaherty is just one example of a larger phenomenon happening in the party (and unnerving some members within it): More and more former Biden staffers and officials are coming back into the public eye, popping up on cable news, opining on podcasts, and penning opinion essays in top newspapers. The desire to re-engage in the public square is strong enough that some former officials have begun soliciting communications professionals for help.
Brian Deese, who served as director of the National Economic Council during the first two years of the Biden administration, published his own guest essay in the Times this week arguing that President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda would hurt the U.S. auto industry. Former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who has largely stayed quiet since Biden left office, made an appearance on ABC’s This Week. Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken sat down with CNBC earlier this month for his first interview since leaving office (and was today’s guest on The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller).
Even Biden himself wrote an op-ed this week in USA Today honoring Pope Francis. And tonight, former Vice President Kamala Harris will take the stage at a gala event in San Francisco for what Politico described as her “most extensive public remarks since losing to Trump last fall.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz—who, to be fair, has had plenty to say since the election—has continued his media appearances, with a lengthy public discussion this week at Harvard University and a profile in the Atlantic. Tonight, as this newsletter is hitting your inbox, he is joining Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) for a MoveOn-hosted livestream on Trump 2.0’s first 100 days.
Losing elections doesn’t mean politicians and their top aides are cast off to political Siberia never to be heard from again. But the re-emergence of these Biden figures is coming at a delicate time, with the Democratic party still confronting questions about how to deal with the 2024 election and the party’s handling of the ex-president’s health and capacities.
Many party members have been unable to shake their belief that Biden and his top aides purposefully misled the public, prioritizing their own egos and professional ambitions over defeating Trump. Some view the recent flurry of activity from Biden aides as a frustrating attempt to rehabilitate their public images and maintain influence, along with the lucrative consulting contracts that can come with that influence. While Democrats acknowledge that everyone has a right to defend their record, they worry that the visibility of some top Biden decision makers only makes it more challenging for the party to move on….
…
“I think there’s probably a relationship [between] Trump starting to crater and these folks starting to feel more safe offering critiques,” said a Democratic strategist, referring to the president’s softening approval rating. “I think the honest-to-God truth is there is still a lot of feelings from Democrats about the Biden folks and perceived shortcomings politically in the last eighteen months or so of the Biden presidency. So these folks are incentivized to remake their public image a bit.”
image…History.Com
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.