Former President Donald Trump recently claimed that the Democratic Party “staged a coup” against current US President Joe Biden, alleging that former President Barack Obama orchestrated Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race. In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Trump accused Democrats of convincing the 81-year-old that he could not defeat him in November due to his low polling numbers. Speaking to the New York Post last month, Trump further claimed that Obama “can’t stand” Biden and played a leading role in ousting his former vice president from the race.
Biden suspended his reelection bid last month after weeks of pressure from senior Democrats and party donors. In public statements, he cited concerns over his ability to defeat Trump in the upcoming election as reasons for his withdrawal. Following his announcement, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to run in his stead in a short post on X (formerly Twitter.
Trump told Ingraham that he would rather run against Harris than Biden, claiming she is “easier” and lacks the former vice president’s political base. Despite being an historically unpopular vice president, Harris is currently polling better against Trump than Biden was before his withdrawal, although analysts have cautioned that her popularity may be due to a temporary “bump” in enthusiasm that will subside as the campaign drags on.
Trump has focused much of his criticism towards Harris’ liberal record and her role as Biden’s “border czar,” blaming her for record levels of illegal immigration seen since 2021. He has also attacked Harris personally, telling a panel of black journalists that she promoted her Indian heritage until “she happened to turn black and now she wants to be known as black,” and calling her laugh “the laugh of a crazy person.