Biden ducks responsibility for Democrats’ dismal election performance

President Biden ducked responsibility for Democrats’ nightmarish Election Day performance, saying conservative voters were motivated and he wouldn’t have been able to change that.

“I’m not sure what I would have been able to change the very conservative folks who turned out in the very red districts that are Trump voters,” Mr. Biden said at the White House Wednesday.

He also pointed a finger at lawmakers in his own party, saying they should have passed his massive social spending bill and its companion infrastructure bill. Had those bills passed, according to Mr. Biden, it may have made a difference in the election.

“It should have passed before Election Day,” Mr. Biden said. “I think we should produce for the American people.

“People want us to get things done and that’s why I’m continuing to push very hard for the Democratic Party to move along and pass my infrastructure bill and my Build Back Better bill,” he continued.

The president then touted his legislation, saying it would alleviate many voter concerns, including the cost of prescription drug prices and rising gasoline prices.

“I think we just have to produce results for them to change their standard of living and giving them a little breathing room,” he said.

Democrats underperformed across the country Tuesday night. In Virginia, Republican Glenn Youngkin upset former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in the governor’s race. No Republican had won Virginia since 2009. Last year, Mr. Biden carried Virginia by 10 points over former President Trump.

In New Jersey, the governor’s race remained too close to call as of Wednesday evening. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, had been expected to win re-election relatively easily over Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelii.

Mr. Biden sought to underscore that Mr. McAuliffe performed well, despite his loss.

The president said Mr. McAuliffe scored more votes than had ever been cast for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Virginia’s history. He also noted that no candidate in Virginia had won the governor’s race when he is in the same party as the sitting president. That has been true since 1977, with the exception of 2013, when Mr. McAuliffe won the governor’s race with fellow Democrat President Obama winning reelection the previous year.