President Joe Biden, well known for his questionable decisions, had a humbling encounter when he disembarked Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on November 4, 2024. His fumbled efforts at running the country had finally caught up with him, as proven by the stinging remarks of Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) following the landslide win of President-elect Donald Trump.
Torres didn’t mince words when he exposed the inadequacy of Biden’s management of the migrant crisis, even going as far as to deem it as ‘malpractice’. Undoubtedly, this disastrous handling on Biden’s behalf was a significant factor that led to Democrats losing the election with embarrassment. How could Biden have been so negligent as to wait for public opinion before taking necessary executive actions on the border crisis is an enigma to many.
Torres articulated the frustration of Democrats saying that they have been on the receiving end of the disaster stemming from Biden’s pathetic response to the migrant crisis that has remained unchecked for years. The wave of immigration took a heavy toll not just on the border regions but also in Democrat governed cities, particularly New York. Its shelter system buckled under the unprecedented strain.
Demonstrating uninformed leadership, Biden hesitated for two long years before issuing an essential executive order to regulate the border’s migration. By the time the decision materialized, the damage was irreparable. Repercussions were felt at the ballot box, with voters dealing a decisive blow to Democrats.
In an ironic ‘too little, too late’ scenario, Biden’s migration restriction order at the border came too late and found support from every racial category—Black, White, Latino, and Asian. Torres rightly questioned Biden’s procrastination in issuing this order, hinting at the lack of timely decision-making that plaqued Biden’s administration.
In a tone laced with regret, Torres presented his dismay at Democrats’ defeat, highlighting two key factors. Firstly, there was the question of voice distribution within the party, with far-left elites gaining more influence than necessary. Secondly, the unaddressed inflation was pinpointed as a hulking cause of Democratic loss.
The executive order, though favored by most Americans, faced opposition from a few agenda-driven far-left elites who have bagged power over policymaking and messaging within the Democratic Party. No surprise, this contributed to our resounding defeat, Torres said, citing unnecessary deference to far-left influence combined with rampant inflation as the root causes.
Immigration was a pivotal issue in the 2024 elections, presenting a challenge for the Democrats that they were incapable of overcoming. Any efforts by the Democrats to resolve the border crisis through bipartisan legislation were promptly sabotaged. President-elect Trump had always spoken out against the Democrats’ lackluster attempts to handle immigration, and his win would reinstate effective border control.
To his shooting-from-the-hip style, Trump has planned to make good on his promise of securing the border by implementing mass deportations and lockdowns. He has even announced his selection of Tom Homan, Trump’s former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, as his border czar. A move that could potentially restore order and structural integrity of the border administration.
Torres was not alone in his criticism of Biden following Trump’s sweeping victory. Even former Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered scathing criticism suggesting that if Biden had stepped down earlier, an ‘open primary’ could have possibly salvaged some semblance of hope for Democrats.
Nancy Pelosi, traditionally supportive of her party, highlighted Biden’s dilemma by suggesting that his early withdrawal might have enabled an open primary and given Democrats a fighting chance against the odds.
Despite the blue wave crashing around him, Torres managed to secure his reelection to the House. As an Afro-Latino, Torres had already made history as one of the first openly gay Black members of Congress when he was elected in 2020. He represents a sincerely struggling district of Bronx, New York City.
Representing pockets of society that truly need a spokesperson, Torres stands somewhat distantly from the confusion of the Biden administration. While Democrats reel from a stunning loss, Rep. Ritchie Torres continues his work on the House Committee on Financial Services, showing that some Democrats still understand the concept of service, even though their leaders clearly stumbled in this regard.