Anti-Trump columnist grim about Biden's chances, says he'd lose if election were today

Ex-Obama adviser David Axelrod has warned he doesn't think Biden campaign is doing enough to beat Trump

Democrats should 'worry' Biden would lose if election were held today: columnist

New York Times opinion columnist David Brooks claimed that former President Trump would almost definitely beat President Biden if the election were today.

Anti-Trump New York Times opinion columnist David Brooks said in a recent interview that the former president would almost definitely beat President Biden if the election were today. 

"There’s reason for worry, because if the election were held today, in my view, Donald Trump would be elected president," Brooks said. 

Brooks, a moderate who staunchly opposes Trump, said all the Democratic voters that he speaks with have "advice on how Biden can do a lot better," adding on PBS that Biden's advisers "hate it" when they feel judged by former President Obama's team.

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New York Times opinion columnist David Brooks and President Biden split image

New York Times opinion columnist David Brooks said in a recent interview on President Biden's re-election campaign that former President Trump would almost definitely beat Biden if the election were today.  (PBS Screenshot / AP Photo)

"I do think [David] Axelrod and Obama are essentially correct that, of course, he had to do a January 6 speech," Brooks said, referencing a speech that Biden gave during which he said that America was "nearly lost" during the Capitol riot in 2021.

But more importantly, Brooks said that Biden has to prove to voters how he is "going to make your life better."

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod has repeatedly warned Biden and his campaign team that he is worried that Biden may not win the election, saying the president has a "real problem" if he thinks he can "cheat nature."

Other reports indicate that individuals within Obama's inner orbit are concerned about a potential rematch between Biden and Trump. As a result, Obama has reportedly said he will try to "move the needle" toward Biden with calculated moments throughout the campaign.

Brooks said that Biden needs to convince voters their lives will improve in a second term because "the core reason Donald Trump is doing OK is a lot of Americans think their life was better under him than under Biden." 

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New York Times opinion columnist David Brooks PBS screenshot

Brooks said that Biden needs to convince voters that their lives will improve in a second term because "the core reason Donald Trump is doing okay is a lot of Americans think their life was better under him than under Biden."  (Fox News Digital)

"Donald Trump is an agent of chaos, a lawbreaker," he continued. 

"For a Democrat to be a persuasive law and order candidate at a time of global chaos, that would be a good thing," Brooks said. "And then I think he really has to somehow get into the working class. You can’t give away that many votes, especially among the Hispanic working class. So I think he has to champion business, small business, and show he’s for enterprise and aspiration. And these are not the usual Democratic themes, but I think he really needs to do it to sort of claw back some of that working class."

Fox News' Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.

Jeffrey Clark is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. He has previously served as a speechwriter for a cabinet secretary and as a Fulbright teacher in South Korea. Jeffrey graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 with a degree in English and History. 

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Authored by Jeffrey Clark via FoxNews January 15th 2024