US President Joe Biden has expressed confidence that he would have defeated Donald Trump and secured re-election in November if he had remained in the presidential race.
In an exclusive interview with USA Today, Biden admitted to having doubts about his endurance for another four years in office.
“So far, so good,” said Biden, 82. “But who knows what I will be when I am 86?”
During the wide-ranging interview with Susan Page, Biden revealed that he was still contemplating preemptive pardons for figures aligned against Trump, including former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney and former health official Dr. Anthony Fauci.
He recounted a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office shortly after the election, where he conveyed his perspective on pardons.
“I tried to make it clear that it was not necessary, and it was contrary to their interest, to go back and try to settle the score,” Biden said.
According to him, Trump “basically listened” and refrained from counterattacking. Biden added that his final decision would depend on Trump's Cabinet pick.
Biden also noted that Trump had been “praised” for his economic performance during the same meeting. “He [Trump] “I thought I was leaving with a good record,” Biden said.
The USA Today interview, published Wednesday, marks Biden's only exit interview with a print publication since he announced his withdrawal from the race on July 21. Media access to Biden has been heavily restricted and he has not held a news conference since leaving office.
In the interview, Biden defended his controversial full and unconditional pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing criminal charges for tax evasion and illegal purchase of a firearm. Despite previously promising not to intervene, Biden insisted the pardon was justified.
Biden, who began his political career in 1972 as a U.S. senator, has faced growing criticism, including within his party, for his delayed decision to drop out of the presidential race amid concerns about his age and mental fitness.
Addressing this issue, Biden said he believed “based on the polls” that he would have won, although he acknowledged that his age could have influenced his performance in office.
“When Trump ran for re-election again, I really thought I had a better chance of beating him. But I wasn't looking to be president when I was 85 or 86,” he said. “But I don't know. Who the hell knows?
Biden's decision to step aside paved the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic ticket. Following his loss to Trump, prominent Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, suggested the party might have had a better chance if Biden had dropped out of the race earlier.
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