Age-old seniority question divides Democrats as Biden returns to national spotlight

Former President Joe Biden is easing backmost into the nationalist eye, arsenic helium delivered his archetypal code since leaving bureau past period and sat for his archetypal post-presidency interviews. 

The 82-year-old erstwhile enactment person reflected connected the Democrats' November losses and discussed the aboriginal of the enactment connected "The View" Thursday morning. 

While the Biden medication relentlessly defended the archetypal octogenarian president's intelligence acuity passim his 1 and lone term, his disastrous statement show against President Donald Trump and his consequent suspension of his re-election run revealed a antithetic reality. 

"The lone crushed I got retired of the contention was due to the fact that I didn't privation to person a divided Democratic Party," Biden maintained to the hosts of "The View."

However, arsenic Democrats grapple with the fallout of losing the White House, Senate and failing to regain the House successful November, the age-old seniority question has returned to the fold of the Democratic Party, arsenic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., the 35-year-old progressive making waves arsenic a imaginable 2028 statesmanlike candidate, said she volition not question the apical Democrat presumption connected the House Oversight Committee. 

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Former President Joe Biden appeared connected ABC's "The View" connected Thursday. (ABC/Getty)

"It’s really wide to maine that the underlying dynamics successful the caucus person not shifted with respect to seniority arsenic overmuch arsenic I deliberation would beryllium necessary, and truthful I judge I’ll beryllium staying enactment astatine Energy and Commerce," Ocasio-Cortez's spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital successful a connection first reported by NBC. 

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Ocasio-Cortez mislaid her House Oversight bid to 74-year-old Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., precocious past year. Connolly announced past month his program to measurement backmost arsenic ranking subordinate of the Oversight Committee aft conscionable 4 months connected the job, owed to a resurgence of esophageal cancer, adding that it would beryllium his last word successful Congress. 

Connolly's determination opened the doorway for Ocasio-Cortez to see different effort to pb the committee, which is champion positioned to analyse the Trump medication if Democrats negociate to regain the House successful 2026. Ocasio-Cortez, citing the Democratic Party's "underlying dynamics" that prioritize seniority successful enactment leadership, renewed a speech started by Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg's program to superior situation older incumbent Democrats. 

Hogg's Super PAC, Leaders We Deserve, announced a program past period to walk $20 cardinal to assistance elite younger Democrats successful deep-blue districts, which the 25-year-old enactment person said are "asleep astatine the wheel."

Former President Joe Biden appeared connected ABC's "The View" connected Thursday. (ABC/Screenshot)

The unprecedented determination was ridiculed by many, including seasoned Democrat strategist James Carville, who called it "the astir insane happening I ever heard."

"Aren't we expected to tally against Republicans?" Carville asked successful an interrogation with CNN. 

While the 2 Democrats seemed to hide the hatchet successful a recent and uncommon associated interview connected "The Tara Palmeri Show," Hogg's determination prompted DNC Chair Ken Martin to denote a neutrality pledge for DNC officials and an ultimatum for the young progressive – either resign arsenic vice seat oregon forego his engagement successful Leaders We Deserve, his radical starring the multimillion-dollar plight to situation elder Democrats. 

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California is interviewed by Fox News Digital astatine Yale University connected April 15, 2025 successful New Haven, Connecticut. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif, 1 of respective younger Democrats starring the absorption to Trump's 2nd word and a sanction floated arsenic a imaginable 2028 statesmanlike candidate, told Fox News Digital successful a caller interrogation that "we person to person a full rebrand of the Democratic Party with a coherent level and a future-oriented platform, and galore leaders request to bash that, caller leaders, not the aged guard. And I anticipation to beryllium portion of that."

Ocasio-Cortez's determination not to question a House Oversight enactment presumption comes arsenic rumors astir her 2028 statesmanlike oregon 2026 senatorial ambitions swirl pursuing a viral campaign-style video, filmed connected the roadworthy with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., connected his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour. 

Those rumors followed the progressive Democrat's record-breaking fundraising haul, 1 of the biggest ever for a House lawmaker, raising $9.6 cardinal successful the past 3 months. A Siena College canvass besides recovered Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's favorability is down, astatine 39% among New York authorities voters questioned successful the poll, which was conducted April 14-16. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez's favorability soared to 47%. 

Former President Joe Biden faced aggravated calls for him to measurement speech pursuing a disastrous statement show successful the summertime of 2024. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

The longtime legislator from New York faced pushback from the Democratic Party successful March for supporting the Trump-backed Republican fund measure that averted a authorities shutdown and stirred up outrage among legislature Democrats who planned to boycott the bill.

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Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.