In her latest opinion piece, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd describes the Democratic Party’s decision to replace President Joe Biden as a “coup,” carried out by his closest political allies. Dowd argues that while the decision to remove Biden may have been necessary given his declining health and campaign abilities, the process reveals the ruthless nature of party politics.
Dowd claims that the effort was spearheaded by influential figures like Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Hakeem Jeffries, who worked behind the scenes to pressure Biden into stepping aside. She points out that many of these leaders publicly continued to support Biden even as they maneuvered to replace him with Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Democrat after Democrat who had been close to Biden before conspiring to push him out had to confess to cable anchors that they had not been able to talk to the president, who was sulking in his tent,” Dowd writes, describing Biden’s isolation during the process.
The columnist also criticizes how Democrats sought to downplay the power grab by praising Biden’s presidency while effectively ending it. Leaders like Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) lauded Biden’s accomplishments even as they joined in the effort to replace him. Dowd argues that the move was less about Biden’s performance and more about the party’s desire to regain power in the upcoming election.
Despite her criticism, Dowd concedes that the decision may have been necessary to prevent an electoral disaster. However, she warns that the process exposes the cynical, calculated nature of party politics, where even a sitting president can be sacrificed for the sake of strategy.
