Biden makes a case for his legacy — and for Harris to continue it — in his Oval Office address

Seung Min Kim and Zeke Miller, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Even though President Joe Biden won’t beryllium connected nan ballot successful November, voters still will beryllium weighing his legacy.

As Vice President Kamala Harris moves to return his spot arsenic nan Democratic standard-bearer, Biden’s accomplishments stay very overmuch astatine consequence should Republican Donald Trump prevail.

How Biden’s azygous word and his determination to measurement speech are remembered will beryllium intertwined pinch Harris’ electoral consequence successful November, peculiarly arsenic nan vice president runs tightly connected nan achievements of nan Biden administration.

Biden made a lawsuit for his bequest — sweeping home legislation, renewal of alliances abroad, defense of populist — connected Wednesday nighttime erstwhile he delivered an Oval Office reside astir his determination to front retired of nan race.

And nary matter really disappointment Biden is astatine being pushed speech by his statement — and he’s plentifulness upset — he has excessively overmuch astatine liking simply to lavation his hands of this election.

Biden endorsed Harris soon aft he announced Sunday that he would extremity his candidacy, efficaciously giving her a caput commencement complete would-be challengers and helping to jumpstart a candidacy focused mostly connected continuing his ain agenda.

“If she wins, past it will beryllium confirmation that he did nan correct point to conflict against nan threat that is Trump, and he will beryllium seen arsenic a fable connected behalf of democracy,” said statesmanlike historiographer Lindsay Chervinsky, executive head of nan George Washington Presidential Library astatine Mount Vernon. “If she loses, I deliberation location will beryllium questions about, did he measurement down excessively late? Would nan Democratic Party person been much effective if he had said he was not going to run?”

What-ifs play retired astatine nan extremity of each presidency. But Biden’s defiance successful nan look of questions astir his fittingness for agency and past his precocious submission to his party’s situation of assurance heightens nan stakes.

The past vice president to tally for nan apical occupation was Democrat Al Gore, who sought to region himself from President Bill Clinton during nan 2000 run aft nan president’s matter pinch a White House intern and consequent impeachment.

Harris, successful contrast, has spent nan amended portion of nan past 3 years praising Biden’s doings — meaning immoderate effort to now region herself would beryllium difficult to explain. And she has to trust connected nan Biden governmental cognition she inherited to triumph nan predetermination pinch conscionable complete 100 days to spell earlier polls close.

Speaking to run unit connected Monday, Harris said Biden’s bequest of accomplishment “just complete nan past 3 and a half years is unmatched successful modern history.”

Harris, addressing nan historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta successful Indianapolis connected Wednesday, previewed Biden’s remarks, saying, “He will talk astir not only nan work, nan bonzer work, that he has accomplished, but astir his activity successful nan adjacent six months.”

Trump and his allies, for their part, were eager to necktie Harris to Biden’s grounds moreover earlier nan president near nan title — and not successful a bully way.

One run email to supporters declared “KAMALA HARRIS IS BIDEN 2.0 – Kamala Harris owns Joe Biden’s unspeakable grounds because it is her grounds arsenic well,” calling retired precocious ostentation and separator policies, among different things.

Biden this week promised nan staffers of his erstwhile run that he was still “going to beryllium connected nan road” arsenic he handed disconnected nan reins of nan statement to Harris, adding, “I’m not going anywhere.”

His advisers opportunity he intends to clasp run events and fundraisers benefiting Harris, albeit astatine a acold slower gait than had he remained connected nan ballot himself.

Harris advisers will yet person to determine really to deploy nan president, whose fame sagged arsenic voters successful some parties questioned his fittingness for office.

The president’s friends insist that nary matter what, Biden’s spot successful nan history books is intact.

Biden’s triumph successful 2020 “was that predetermination that protected america from a Donald Trump presidency,” said Rep. Steven Horsford, president of nan Congressional Black Caucus. “Yes, we person to do it again this November. But had Donald Trump been successful agency different 4 years, nan damage, nan destruction, nan decay of our populist would’ve gone moreover further.”

Matt Bennett, co-founder of nan center-left deliberation vessel Third Way, predicted location will beryllium a quality betwixt short-term recollections of Biden and his bequest if Democrats suffer successful November.

“It is existent that if we lose, that will unreality things for him successful nan near-term” because Democrats will person to face Trump, Bennett said. “In nan agelong term, erstwhile history judges Biden, they’ll look astatine him connected his ain terms. They will judge him for what he did aliases did not do arsenic president, and they will judge him very favorably.”

Biden’s determination to extremity his candidacy buoyed nan spirits of legislature Democrats who had been fretting that nan incumbent president would resistance down their prospects of retaining nan Senate and retaking nan House. An all-Republican Washington would frighten to do moreover much harm to Biden’s legacy.

Already, legislature Republicans person tried to unravel pieces of nan Inflation Reduction Act, a cardinal Biden accomplishment that was passed connected statement lines successful 2022. And they could win adjacent year, pinch a President Trump waiting to motion a repeal into law.

GOP lawmakers could besides ballot to reverse cardinal national regulations that had arrived later successful nan Biden administration.

“If nan Republicans get dual majorities, they’re going to claw backmost arsenic overmuch arsenic they can,” Bennett said. “They’re going to undo arsenic overmuch arsenic they tin and not only will that beryllium a disaster for America and nan world, it’ll beryllium really bad for nan Biden legacy.”

Biden aides constituent to nan thus-far seamless quality of Harris’ takeover of his governmental servants of nan state arsenic grounds that nan president has group up his vice president to tally successfully connected their shared record. But nan eventual trial of that statement will travel successful November.

No 1 will beryllium cheering her connected much than nan president.

As Biden said to Harris: “I’m watching you, kid.”