US outgoing President Joe Biden has expressed regret over his decision to exit this year's presidential race, believing he could have defeated Donald Trump in the recent election despite unfavorable polling, The Guardian reported, citing White House sources.

The sources report that Biden also admitted he made a mistake in selecting Merrick Garland as attorney general. He reflected that Garland, a former appeals court judge, was slow to prosecute Trump for his role in the January 6th, 2021 insurrection, while overseeing a Justice Department that aggressively pursued cases against Biden’s son, Hunter.

With just over three weeks remaining in his single term, Biden’s reported reflections indicate that he now thinks stepping aside in July was a misstep, as per the report. He had withdrawn following a lackluster debate performance against Trump, under mounting pressure from Democrats concerned about polling data suggesting an impending defeat in the general election.

Biden’s exit paved the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee. While her candidacy initially sparked renewed enthusiasm and improved polling, she ultimately suffered a decisive loss in both the Electoral College and the popular vote.

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While Biden and his team have been careful not to place blame on Harris, The Washington Post suggested that the outcome might have been different had he stayed in the race. However, many of Harris' supporters argue that Biden waited too long to step aside, leaving her with insufficient time to effectively campaign.

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They also point out that Biden’s decision to seek a second term contradicted his 2020 promise to be a "transitional" president, who would only serve one term before passing the baton to a new generation of leaders.

Biden's concerns about Garland are particularly notable, as he had nominated him as attorney general after the January 6 Capitol attack, hoping to restore "the honor, the integrity, the independence" of the Justice Department following Trump’s tenure.

Biden regrets 2024 exit and Garland's appointment 

According to the Post, Biden was initially hesitant to nominate Merrick Garland as attorney general and had to be persuaded by his chief of staff, Ron Klain.

Garland was primarily known for his failed nomination by Barack Obama to the US Supreme Court, which was blocked by a Republican-led Senate. Biden’s political allies, including some in the Democratic Party, had pushed for Doug Jones, a former senator from Alabama, arguing he would be better suited to navigate Washington's polarized political climate.

However, Klain convinced Biden that Garland would send a stronger message of restoring the independence of the Justice Department after Trump's tenure.

Despite this, Biden still faced accusations from Trump of "weaponizing" the department, especially as it pursued investigations into his involvement in the January 6 Capitol attack and his handling of classified documents. At the same time, the department also investigated Hunter Biden and the president himself for mishandling classified materials.

Biden now believes he should have selected someone else for the position, a sentiment echoed by many Democrats who argue that Garland was too slow to investigate and prosecute Trump for his role in the January 6 events and other related matters, as per the report.

The slow pace of the investigation, which eventually led to the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith, allowed Trump to avoid the politically damaging spectacle of a trial before this year’s election. Last month, Smith formally sought to close both criminal cases against Trump in light of his election win, effectively bringing them to an end.