President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance proved that he is unfit for office. However, his campaign insists that he is not dropping out. Biden’s legacy will likely be determined by this decision, and history will not be kind to him.

Biden has been especially focused on his legacy, regularly meeting with historians to discuss his actions and how he will be viewed in the future. But for a man who has lived through so much U.S. history, his decision-making process is short-sighted. 

Biden is not the first president to face strong pressure from within his party to step aside. After narrowly winning the 1948 presidential election, Harry S. Truman was on thin ice within the Democratic Party. His approval rating dipped to historic lows, the country was struggling with inflation, and his legislative agenda was struggling to gain momentum. In 1952, Truman was defeated by Tennessee Sen. Estes Kefauver in the New Hampshire primary and announced soon afterward that he would not run for reelection. Truman’s legacy has since largely recovered.

In 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson was forced to make a similarly tough decision. While Johnson had major victories with the Civil Rights Act and the Great Society, disagreement over the Vietnam War within the Democratic Party made it clear that he had no path to victory. While Johnson narrowly fended off Sen. Eugene McCarthy in the New Hampshire primary, the closeness of that race convinced Sen. Robert F. Kennedy to challenge Johnson. He withdrew from the election soon after, saying, “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.” LBJ recognized that stepping aside with grace was consistent with presidential leadership.

Finally, while the circumstances of Richard Nixon’s resignation were slightly different from the challenge Biden faces today, it perhaps contains the most relevant lesson. While backlash to the Watergate Scandal had started in 1972, it was not until the summer of 1974 that Nixon’s support within his party had eroded beyond repair. After the release of the “smoking gun” transcript, Republican leaders in Congress no longer could hold back his inevitable impeachment, and Sen. Barry Goldwater and two others broke the news to Nixon. The president announced his resignation the very next day.

For the Democratic Party in 2024, it seems that they should find their Goldwater, someone willing to confront Biden about his inability to continue his campaign and with the political stature to make a difference. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) is not that person, and not even the New York Times editorial board is enough. Someone like former President Barack Obama would need to step up and let Biden know that he has lost the support of his party.

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However, this will almost certainly never happen. It is probably too late for the Democrats to swap their candidate without causing significant backlash. The Democratic Party got itself into this mess, and no one should have any sympathy for it.

If Donald Trump wins in November, it will be because of Joe Biden, and that loss will forever be Biden’s legacy.