Joe Biden believes he had “the best chance” against Trump

Outgoing US President Joe Biden does not rule out the possibility that, unlike his Vice President Kamala Harris, he could have won the presidential election on November 5th against Donald Trump. In an interview with the newspaper “USA Today” published on Wednesday, the 82-year-old replied to the question of whether an election victory would have been realistic for him: “I think so.”

He really thought he had “the best chance” of beating Republican Trump. “But I also didn’t want to be president when I’m 85 or 86 years old. And so I talked about passing the baton,” Biden said. “But I don’t know. Who the hell knows? … Who knows what I’ll be when I’m 86?”

Biden is the oldest president in US history and has repeatedly faced questions about his physical and mental fitness throughout his time in office. After his disastrous appearance in the TV duel with Trump at the end of June last year, pressure within the party grew on him to give up his second candidacy for president. Biden ultimately withdrew this three months before the election date, whereupon Harris stood in for the Democrats and lost to Trump.

When asked about things he might regret during his time in office, Biden did not mention the TV duel or his broken promise to serve only one term and to form a “bridge” to the next generation. Instead, he complained about the slow progress on major infrastructure projects and the misinformation that manipulated the political debate.

Biden gave fewer interviews and press conferences during his time in office than any other president since Ronald Reagan (1981-1989). USA Today was the only newspaper that was able to have a personal conversation with him before he hands over his office to Trump on January 20th.

During his meeting with Trump after his election victory in the White House, Biden asked the Republican not to take revenge on political opponents as he had announced, Biden said in the interview. Trump did not respond.

The outgoing incumbent said he wanted to be remembered by his compatriots as a president who had a clear plan to recover the US economy after the corona pandemic and to restore the United States’ leadership role in the world. “That was my hope, and who knows? I hope that it will be remembered that I did it with honesty and integrity. And that I said what was on my mind.”