In his first sit down interview since stepping apart within the 2024 presidential race, President Joe Biden mentioned that he concluded that staying within the contest would show to be a “actual distraction,” citing the feedback of Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill who feared he would drag down different candidates.
Talking to Robert Costa for an interview for CBS Sunday Morning, Biden mentioned that the presidential race “would have been down the wire, however what occurred was plenty of my Democratic colleagues within the Home and Senate thought that I used to be going to harm them within the races, and I used to be involved if I stayed within the race, that might be the subject you’d be interviewing me about. ‘Why did Nancy Pelosi say…? Why did somebody?’ And I believed it’d be an actual distraction.”
Biden added that when he ran in 2020, “I considered myself as being a transition president. I can’t even say how outdated I’m. It’s onerous for me to get it out of my mouth, however issues received shifting so shortly, it didn’t occur. And the mix was that I believed there’s a vital problem for me — nonetheless will not be a joke — sustaining this democracy, however I believed it was necessary. As a result of though it’s an excellent honor being president, I feel I’ve an obligation to the nation to do … a very powerful factor we will do, and that’s, we should, we should, we should defeat Trump.”
Pelosi has mentioned that she has not spoken to Biden since he dropped out of the race final month, however she has insisted that she not name one individual to orchestrate an effort to get Biden to step apart. She advised the New Yorker, “I by no means referred to as one individual, however individuals had been calling me saying that there was a problem there. So there needed to be a change within the management of the marketing campaign, or what would come subsequent.”
Within the CBS interview, Biden mentioned that he was “not assured in any respect” that there will likely be a peaceable transition of energy if Trump loses.
“If he wins …this election, watch what occurs,” Biden mentioned. “He’s a real hazard to American safety.”
Biden mentioned that he had spoken to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro about campaigning there, the president’s dwelling state. “He and I are placing collectively a marketing campaign tour in Pennsylvania. I’m going to be campaigning in different states as properly, and I’m going to do no matter Kamala thinks I can do to assist most.”
The president additionally praised Harris’ selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her working mate, calling him “my sort of man.” “If we grew up in the identical neighborhood, we’d have been pals,” Biden mentioned.
Biden additionally pushed again on questions on his well being, after his efficiency within the June debate generated alarm amongst Democratic lawmakers, donors and supporters.
“All I can say is watch, that’s all,” Biden mentioned. “Look, I had a very, actually dangerous day in that debate as a result of I used to be sick, however I’ve no significant issue.”
Requested how he desires historical past to recollect his presidency, Biden mentioned, “That he proved that democracy can work, and received us out of a pandemic. It produced the only best financial restoration in American historical past. We’re probably the most highly effective financial system on the earth. We’ve got extra to do. And it demonstrated that we will pull the nation collectively.”
