Biden Left the Presidential Race, but His Legacy Depends on It

President Biden whitethorn not beryllium connected the ballot adjacent week, but his bequest is riding connected the result of the election.

A nonaccomplishment for Vice President Kamala Harris would punctual contiguous questions implicit whether Mr. Biden stayed successful the contention excessively long, Democrats privately acknowledge. But it is besides apt to doom galore of Mr. Biden’s legislative achievements, including successful cleanable energy, wellness security and overseas policy.

Former President Donald J. Trump has said that if re-elected, helium would gut Mr. Biden’s signature cleanable vigor bill, known arsenic the Inflation Reduction Act, which is expected to determination $1.2 trillion implicit the adjacent decennary into technologies to fight clime change. He has scoffed astatine Mr. Biden’s efforts to prioritize radical equity erstwhile implementing policy. He has said helium would let Russia to bash “whatever the hellhole they want” to NATO allies, portion Mr. Biden’s aides accidental that rallying the Atlantic confederation to backmost Ukraine against the Russian penetration is 1 of his proudest accomplishments. Mr. Trump besides precocious criticized a bipartisan instrumentality that invests successful semiconductor manufacturing arsenic “so bad.”

“Donald Trump would perfectly eviscerate it,” Liz Shuler, the president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., said of Mr. Biden’s agenda. “These investments are nether threat.”