In her latest column, New York Times opinion writer Maureen Dowd has labeled the Democratic Party’s decision to push President Joe Biden out of the 2024 race as a “coup.” While acknowledging that Biden’s declining effectiveness made his removal necessary, Dowd criticizes how party leaders orchestrated the transition and then attempted to gloss over it.
Dowd argues that the move was driven by high-ranking Democrats like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and former President Barack Obama, who quietly worked to sideline Biden despite publicly supporting him. The columnist suggests that Biden was left isolated and “sulking” as it became clear that his former allies were conspiring to replace him with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Dowd highlights how Democrats tried to reframe the power play as a necessary strategy, with many offering glowing praise of Biden’s record while preparing to replace him. “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,” Dowd writes, exposing the disconnect between the public narrative and the behind-the-scenes reality.
Despite her sharp critique of the process, Dowd concedes that the decision likely saved the Democratic Party from a tough battle in 2024. Still, she warns that the situation reveals the ruthlessness of party politics, where loyalty takes a back seat to the pursuit of power. Her column offers a stark reminder of how quickly political alliances can shift when electoral success is at stake.
