Hillary Clinton Criticizes Biden’s 2024 Re-election and Electoral College

Hillary Clinton described President Joe Biden’s 2024 re-election bid as a “terrible mistake” in a recent interview. She suggested that Biden should have considered allowing a new leader to take charge. This statement drew attention from the hosts of ‘Fox & Friends,’ who remarked on the irony of her stance compared to her previous endorsement. They also highlighted issues within the Democratic Party, including a perceived lack of diverse opinions on major political choices.

Clinton, who unsuccessfully ran for president before, continues to voice strong opinions against the Electoral College. She labeled it an “abomination” in a trailer for Netflix’s upcoming docuseries titled “The American Experiment.” The series—executive-produced by Tom Hanks—covers 250 years of U.S. history and features interviews with politicians and historians like Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore, Ted Cruz, and Nancy Pelosi. Clinton’s critique adds to a growing support for eliminating the Electoral College, especially after her 2016 election loss. Clinton won the popular vote against Trump, but lost due to key swing state losses giving Trump an Electoral College win.

So, what is the Electoral College and how does it function? Established in 1787, it consists of electors from each state who formally vote for the president. This system can result in a candidate losing the popular vote but winning the presidency, as occurred in 2016. Clinton previously criticized this setup in her memoir “What Happened,” calling it “the god-forsaken Electoral College.” During interviews, she has argued that the system is outdated and advocates for its removal.

Before Trump’s anticipated victory over Harris in 2024, Clinton reiterated concerns regarding the Electoral College. She remarked in an interview with The 19th about feeling disadvantaged by the system’s structure, which she believes allows a minority to overrule a majority.

In the same Netflix trailer, Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California asserted that some founding fathers disliked the Electoral College and found faults in its design from the start. Lofgren emphasized the issue of minority rule over the majority due to the Electoral College’s framework.

Discussing Clinton’s participation in the docuseries, director Brian Knappenberger noted that interviewing Clinton involved revisiting one of her most challenging moments—losing the 2016 election. Despite the emotional weight of the topic, he noted her candidness was a valuable addition to the series, especially since few people have lost the U.S. presidency while winning the popular vote.