Joe Biden, the outgoing President of the United States, stated that had he not withdrawn from the presidential race last November, he believed he could have defeated President-elect Donald Trump. However, acknowledging his age, now 82, he admitted that he might not have had the stamina to serve another four years.
In an interview released by USA Today on the 8th, Biden was asked if he thought he could have won the November election last year. He responded, “It might be a bit much to say, but based on polls, I think I could have.”
When asked whether he believed he had the stamina to serve another four years, Biden acknowledged the risks of his age by saying, “I’m okay up to now. But who knows what will happen when I’m 86?” He also mentioned that although he thought he was the most likely to defeat Trump if the latter sought reelection, he did not want to be president at 85 or 86.
Biden had withdrawn from the Democratic candidacy a few months before the election after concerns about his age arose following the first TV debate with Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris then ran as the Democratic candidate but was defeated by Trump. Trump is set to take office on January 20.
The interview also touched on the possibility of a “preemptive pardon” by Biden before leaving office, to protect against political retribution by Trump. A preemptive pardon is an action where the incumbent president pardons someone comprehensively before they are investigated or charged, thus exempting them from legal punishment.
Biden mentioned that his decision would largely depend on who Trump appoints to certain positions and confirmed that he had not yet decided on granting any preemptive pardons. He noted a meeting with Trump right after the election, stating that “going back to seek revenge would be directly contrary to his interest and unnecessary.”
Potential targets for retribution from Trump’s side include former Republican Representative Liz Cheney, a deputy chairperson of the January 6 committee; Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who led the investigation into the January 6 Capitol riot; and Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who clashed with Trump over vaccine advocacy during the pandemic.
Additionally, during a two-hour meeting, Trump praised Biden’s economic achievements and expressed that he was leaving a good legacy. Biden expressed concerns that Trump might reverse his legislative achievements, such as the infrastructure law, after taking office. He remarked there could be issues as some Republican members of Congress are already telling their states not to block investment plans resulting from the law.
Biden also warned that Trump, by focusing on expanding tax cuts for the wealthy, could harm investments. He pointed out, “It’s important to remember that the economy was quite good when Trump took over from Barack Obama, but there were fewer jobs when Trump left office than when he entered.”
Biden noted that if Trump implements tariffs, it would only increase costs for American consumers and emphasized that dismantling key programs like infrastructure or climate legislation would hurt Trump himself and damage the economy.
When asked about how he hopes history will view his presidential legacy, Biden remarked, “I believe we are at one of the inflection points the world is moving towards post-Cold War, not because of a particular leader but due to the nature of what is happening globally,” and expressed a hope that history will say he planned to restore the economy and reestablish American leadership on the global stage.