U.S. President Joe Biden has said that he does not believe that his initial decision to run for re-election paved the way for President-elect Donald Trump in 2024 and indicated that he is still considering pre-emptive pardons for people whom Trump has targeted.
Biden Confident He Would Have Defeated Trump
“I think I would have beaten Trump, could have beaten Trump,
and I think that Kamala could have beaten Trump,” Biden told
reporters at the White House when asked if he regretted his
initial decision to run for re-election.
Trump, a Republican who will return to the White House on
January 20, beat Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic
nominee, last year and repeatedly called for the prosecution of
his perceived enemies.
Why Biden Chose Not To Seek Re-election?
Biden, 82, stepped aside after a disastrous debate against
Trump, 78, sparked worries within the Democratic party that he
could not win in November or serve out a second term.
“I thought it was important to unify the party,” Biden said
about his decision.
He added that it was the honor of his life to be President but he did not want to cause a party that was not unified to lose an election.
Trump’s Idea To Punish People Is Outrageous
Regarding pardons, Biden suggested he was taking into
account what Trump was saying about his intentions for
retribution.
“The idea that he would punish people … is outrageous,”
Biden said. “There’s still consideration … but no decision.”
Asked whether he was considering a pre-emptive pardon for
himself, Biden said no. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Biden rarely held news conferences during his four years in
the White House but took several questions from reporters on
Friday.
Notably, in an exclusive sit-down interview to USA Today, Biden said he believes he could have won his re-election bid − but isn’t sure he would have had the vigor to complete four more years in the Oval Office.
“So far, so good,” he said. “But who knows what I’m going to be when I’m 86 years old?”, he said in the exit interview.
Asked by USA Today if he could have fulfilled the world’s hardest job for another four years, Biden remarked, “Who the hell knows?”
Impact Of New Sanctions on Russian Oil
He told media persons at the White House that new sanctions imposed on Russian oil could raise gasoline prices by three or four cents per gallon but would have a profound effect on Russia’s economy.
Important To Oversee Response To Wildfires
Biden, who cancelled a trip to Italy to stay in Washington to
oversee the federal response to the fires in California, said he
was disappointed that he would not be able to visit Pope Francis
at the Vatican.
He said that it was more important for him to remain
in town.
