President Joe Biden’s refusal to step aside as the Democratic presidential nominee hurts his party’s chances in 2024. It is Biden’s ego that is his biggest obstacle to bowing out.

The debate last Thursday was a disaster for Biden and the Democratic Party. The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published editorials calling for Biden to abstain from continuing as the Democratic nominee. Even close Biden allies, such as Thomas Friedman, Paul Krugman, Joe Scarborough, and James Carville, said that Biden’s poor performance should result in him stepping aside.

Biden is losing the 2024 presidential election. Former President Donald Trump is leading in swing states, and his national polling average has gained after the debate. A recent CNN poll placed Trump’s electoral support at 49%, compared to Biden’s 43%. This weakness will not only hurt Biden’s chances at staying in the White House, but also Democrats down the ballot.

The only thing that can prevent Biden’s nomination is himself. The nomination will occur virtually before the convention, and the delegates are already selected. Careerism and fears of helping Trump will prevent many other Democratic politicians from noting Biden’s inadequacies as a candidate.

Despite Biden’s public appearance as a kindly grandfather, he is a harsh and egotistical boss. He is known to yell and curse at advisers regularly in private. He will grill aides with questions until they inevitably cannot answer. According to reports, even the information he is given is curated so his temper will not be inflamed.

This should not be surprising, considering Biden’s habit of lying about his record and experiences. He once said he was arrested while participating in the civil rights movement despite no arrest records existing that verify this claim. He has also exaggerated his middle-class roots and suggested his uncle was eaten by cannibals in the Pacific region.  

Most infamously, Biden falsely claimed during his first presidential campaign that he finished near the top of his class and said he had a higher IQ than a questioner at a campaign stop. In reality, he finished near the bottom of his class and plagiarized in school.

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All of this points to the fact that Biden’s inflated image of himself is removed from reality. His lies are not only external but also internal. He has regularly told others that he feels younger than his age. While this is a common part of aging with which many can sympathize, his inability to accept his physical condition aligns with a broader pattern of egoism. Biden’s angry domination of subordinates and habitual lying paint a portrait of a man unable to evaluate himself critically.

Biden’s opponent, Trump, is also a man dominated by his ego. But Trump is not down in the polls, nor has he positioned himself as the mature statesman in this race. Biden’s ego is preventing him from stepping aside from the Democratic nomination, even though it may doom Democrats in November.