US President Joe Biden believes he would have defeated Donald Trump and won re-election in November. However, the 82-year-old Democrat said he was unsure whether he would have the power to serve a four-year term in the Oval Office.
“So far, so good,” the 82-year-old man said. “But who knows what I’ll be when I’m 86,” Mr. Biden said in a wide-ranging interview with USA TODAY.
The outgoing US President admitted that he was considering pre-pardons for his successor Donald Trump’s enemies, including former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney and former senior health official Dr. Anthony Fauci. Mr Trump has threatened to investigate and prosecute Dr Fauci for his criticism of the Republic’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic during his first term and, in the case of Cheney, help lead efforts to impeach her. of.
So far, the interview with USA TODAY is the only exit interview Mr. Biden has given to a print publication because media access to them is strictly controlled by the White House.
In the interview published Wednesday, Mr. Biden spoke with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office a week after the November election, saying he asked him not to proceed with threats and “made clear there was no need for it, and it was his Was prejudicial to the interest.” Go back and try to settle the score.”
When asked what Mr. Trump’s response to his petition was, the President said, “He didn’t say, ‘No, I’m going to…’ you know. He didn’t reinforce it. He just said the original Heard it properly.”
The US President said his final decision would depend on who Republican leaders choose for top administration roles. The incoming president has nominated former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to head the Justice Department and firebrand loyalist Kash Patel to head the FBI.
Mr Biden also said that during the same meeting, Mr Trump “complimented” him about his economic record and told him “he (Trump) thought I was leaving with a good record.”
The outgoing president also defended the full and unconditional pardon issued to his son Hunter Biden, who was facing sentencing for two criminal cases – tax evasion and illegally purchasing a gun. Mr. Biden said he meant it when he repeatedly said he would pardon Hunter, but then he “realized two factors.”
“Number one, that he paid all his taxes. He paid them late. He struggled with a drug problem. And he beat it. He’s been sober and sober for almost six years now.. And then the other thing I found out about buying a gun, at the time, was you have to sign a form if you’re under the influence of something, well, I don’t even know if they sign the form directly. , no one was ever prosecuted.” Said.
Asked whether he could have won the election against Mr Trump, Mr Biden said that “based on the polling” he believed he would have won.
Mr Biden said, “When Trump was running for re-election, I really thought I had the best chance to defeat him. But when I was 85, 86 years old I also wanted to be president. Wasn’t thinking of.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
