Joe Biden said that he “could have beaten Trump” in the US Presidential Election if he had not stepped aside in the race after being pressured by allies.
The 46th President, who delivered his remarks with just over a week left in his term, said that he had no regrets in dropping his bid as it was in an attempt to “unify the party”.
Biden withdrew from the race back in July, following a poor debate performance against Trump which prompted concerns about his age and cognitive abilities.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Biden said: “I think I would have beaten Trump – could have beaten Trump.”
Joe Biden said that he ‘could have beaten Trump’ in the US Presidential Election if he had not stepped aside in the race after being pressured by allies
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“And I think that Kamala could have beaten Trump, would have beaten Trump. It wasn’t about – I thought it was important to unify the party,” he said.
He did not discuss why Harris did not beat Trump, despite stating that she could have.
“I thought I could win again, thought it was better to unify the party, and it was the greatest honor in my life to be president of the United States, but I didn’t want to be one who caused a party that wasn’t unified to lose an election,” he said.
“That’s why I stepped aside. But I was confident she could win.”
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Biden referred to picking Harris as his VP as the ‘best decision’ he ever madeReutersOn July 24, Biden stepped down as the Democratic nominee. At the time, his country’s willingness to elect him again was low, with just 36 per cent of those polled approved of him as President.
In a letter addressed to “My Fellow Americans” written three days prior, he said: “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
He told reporters that he planned to remain in the public eye after leaving office.
“I’m not going to be out of sight or out of mind,” he said.
Kamala Harris was beaten in every swing state by Trump
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The 46th President, who delivered his remarks with just before Trump takes over
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Asked on Friday where Harris should run again, Biden said: “I think it’s a decision she should make. I think she’s competent to run again in four years. That’d be a decision for her to make.”
Harris won the fewest Electoral College votes of any Democratic candidate since Michael Dukakis in 1988. She was also beaten in every swing state by Trump.
The Vice President was due to embark on a global tour next week, which would have seen stops in Singapore, Bahrain, and Germany to discuss foreign policy.
However, she had to put this on pause as wildfires continue to wreak havoc in her home state of California.