In an exclusive interview with USA Today, President Joe Biden discussed his biggest fear regarding a second term for Donald Trump and his thoughts on the outcome if he stayed in the 2024 race.
The interview, held Sunday in the Oval Office, is the only exit interview Biden has given to a print media outlet before his term ends in less than two weeks.
Biden entered the White House four years ago after campaigning under the slogan “struggle for the soul of the nation” after four years of the Trump administration. But on Jan. 20, he will attend Trump’s inauguration outside the Capitol as his successor ‒ and predecessor ‒ is sworn in, capping off a remarkable return to the White House.
Biden said he believed he could have beaten Trump if he had stayed in the race, but expressed uncertainty about whether he would have enough energy to serve four more years until he is 86.
“That might be pretentious to say, but I think yes, based on the polls,” Biden, 82, said when asked if he could have won the 2024 presidential election.
Biden withdrew from the race in late July amid growing pressure from top Democrats after a disastrous debate performance that revealed an aging president unable to clearly articulate his thoughts and make a case against Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris quickly secured support to take the Democratic nomination.
It is not clear which polls Biden was referring to. During the campaign, he was behind Trump in national and key states. After Biden’s withdrawal, Harris quickly overturned Trump’s sizable lead in the polls, though she ended up losing all seven closely contested swing states.
“I don’t know,” Biden said. “When Trump was campaigning for re-election, I really thought I had the best chance to beat him. But I also didn’t want to be president when I was 85 or 86. That’s why I talked about passing the baton. But, I don’t know. Who can know? So far everything is fine. But who knows how I will be at 86?”
(Vijesti.ba)
