Biden submitted questions during the 2024 election. This addressed allegations that he had suffered a decline in cognitive function during his final year.
On May 8, former President Joe Biden gave his first interview since resigning, defending his administration and denied reports that he told former Vice President Kamala Harris to reflect priorities in his 2024 campaign.
Biden and his wife, former First Lady Jill Biden, sat down with ABC’s “views” on Thursday morning, quizzing questions about the 2024 election, Harris’ loss to then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, the mental decline last year, and his reaction to the Republican president’s first 100 days.
Biden said he wasn’t surprised that Harris lost to Trump, not because of lack of qualifications for the presidency, but because he believes her campaign has been hit by the allegations that “mixed race women” cannot lead the country.
“I think we underestimate the incredible negative impact that Covid and Pandemic have had on people, attitudes, optimism and everything in the world,” Biden added. “So I was very disappointed, but not surprised.”
The former president said he kept in touch with Harris and recently asked for his opinion on a key topic but refused to share what it was.
Despite Trump being the first Republican president to win a popularity vote in 20 years, Biden suggested that last year’s former opponents’ victory was not a “slam dunk.”
The host said when Harris spoke to them before last year’s election, the former vice president said he didn’t say anything “thinks” when asked what he’d done in a different way than Biden over the past four years.
Biden said he didn’t encourage Harris to make that claim to the claim that Trump and the Republicans used as ammunition against her.
“I didn’t encourage her to say that,” he said. “She was part of every success we did. By the way, we insisted like hell.”
Biden dropped out of the presidential election in July 2024, supporting Harris as his successor after growing criticism of his performance in the previous month’s debate with Trump.
When asked what to say by critics who suggested he would step aside 100 days before the election thwarted the former vice president’s campaign, Biden promoted his administration’s achievements.
“We have passed more major laws to fundamentally change the direction of the country than the president has had decades for a long time,” Biden said. “My point is that we have made a very successful effort to change the direction of the country.
Biden said the interview waited until Trump took office in Trump’s first 100 days because of a long-standing tradition of allowing his successors to “go off the ground without chasing him.”
But now enough time has passed, the former president proposed.
“I think he did a very poor job, frankly, for the benefit of the United States,” Biden said. “You know, the biggest alliance in world history is NATO, and he’s not kidding, he blows it up. I was able to expand it.”
The host pointed out how Trump has mentioned Biden, his family, or his administration hundreds of times since his inauguration date on January 20th, and asked Biden why he believes the president is sticking to him.
“I beat him,” Biden said with a smile, referring to the 2020 election.
However, the former president said he was partially responsible for Trump, who won the 2024 election.
“Look, I was in charge and he won, so I’m responsible,” he said.
When asked about allegations that he was in a “dramatic decline” of his cognitive abilities in the final year of his presidency, Biden said the anonymous sources cited in various media reports were incorrect.
“There’s nothing to keep it,” he said.
Instead, Biden said he dropped out of the race because he didn’t want to split the Democrats further.
“So I got out of the race, and I thought it would be better to get the country ahead of my interests. I have my personal interest. I’m not bothered. I’m deadly serious about it,” Biden said.
He was 86 by the end of a potential second term, and he admitted the concerns many have about his age.
“I got it. I understand the concerns. I really do. But the point in question is that if I have the time I provide exactly what I did when I think I’ve lost my cognitive ability,” Biden said.
“When I got out of the race, I was still going to be president. I think I’ve done a pretty good job over the past six months.”
