President Biden said he plans to do “nothing” differently over the next two years after voters declined to deliver a widely anticipated rebuke of his leadership in Tuesday’s national elections.
The president touted the unexpectedly strong performance from Democrats in the midterms as an affirmation of “democracy” during a press conference, Fox News reported.
Biden relieved by midterm results
Republicans dominated in Florida and performed well in liberal New York, with Republicans sweeping suburban Long Island and Lee Zeldin coming within five points of unseating Democrat governor Kathy Hochul.
Still, many Republican election watchers were left disappointed by the GOP’s performance, given Biden’s deep unpopularity and the challenging political climate for his party, which had led many to expect a “red wave.”
As of Wednesday, Republicans were still favored to win the House, although by a smaller margin than expected, and their path to the Senate remained open but narrowed after Republicans lost Pennsylvania’s pivotal Senate seat to Democrat John Fetterman.
Biden’s satisfaction was hard to miss Wednesday, as he suggested the results had validated his radical agenda.
Asked what he would change going forward, Biden said, “Nothing.”
“Good day for democracy”
Doubling down on his closing message to voters before the election, which described Republicans as an existential threat to the United States, Biden called the election “a good day for democracy.”
“Well, we had an election day yesterday, and I think it was a good day for democracy— and I think it was a good day for America,” Biden said.
While he was spared the humiliation that had been widely predicted by pollsters and media pundits, Biden could still face headaches from a Republican-controlled Congress.
Republicans have pledged to investigate Biden’s family business deals, and it’s likely a Republican majority would obstruct his agenda.
Still, Biden’s probably happy to get away with a slap on the wrist.