In his first interview since dropping out of the reelection race, Joe Biden said Democrats think he will ‘hurt them in the campaign’

go through Brianna Morris Grant

in short:

(ABC – Australia) US President Joe Biden gave his first interview since dropping out of the re-election race, saying he believes his health and age will be “quite a distraction”.

Biden called Donald Trump a “real threat to American security” and said defeating him was “the most important thing.”

What’s next?

Biden said he will campaign for Kamala Harris before the Nov. 5 election.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he was giving up his re-election bid as Election Day approached due to doubts from colleagues who believed he would “undermine their interests in the campaign.”

In his first interview since dropping out of the race, the 81-year-old sat down with CBS News to discuss his legacy, the Harris-Waltz combination and what’s at stake in November.

Biden announced last month that he would not run for reelection, and Vice President Kamala Harris is now the Democratic nominee.

Ms Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz as her running mate.

Biden told CBS in an interview at his private residence that the debate over whether he was qualified for the job would be a “distraction” if he continued in the race.

“Our polls show this is a close race and it will go down to the wire,” he said.

“The reality is that many of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate believe I will undermine their interests in the campaign.

“I’m worried that if I continue to run, this will become a hot topic. You’ll be interviewing me and asking, ‘Why did Nancy Pelosi say this, why did so-and-so say this,’ and I think it will be a distraction.”

He noted that during the 2019 campaign, he also considered himself a “transitional” president.

“I think it’s important because, while it’s a tremendous honor to be president, I think I have an obligation to do the most important thing that we can do,” he said.

“That is we must, we must, we must defeat Trump.”

Biden will travel to Pennsylvania and other battleground states to campaign in support of Harris and Waltz.

He said he had “no serious issues” despite a poor debate performance earlier this year that raised concerns about his health and fitness for office.

During a debate with former President Trump in June, Biden seemed confused and had difficulty speaking.

But he told CBS that the debate issues were due to being ill at the time and that he planned to “help as much as Kamala thinks I can.”

When asked if he believed there could be a peaceful transfer of power after Election Day, Biden said he had “absolutely no confidence.”

Biden said: “(Trump) means what he says, and we don’t take what he says seriously.”

“He meant it. All that ‘if we lose, it’s going to be a bloodbath’ stuff… you can’t be patriotic only when you’re winning.

“Mark my words. If he wins (this election), look what happens. This is a danger. He is a real threat to American security.

“We are at a turning point in American history, we really are. The decisions we make in the next three or four years will determine the course of the next sixty years.

“And democracy is the key.”

The US election will be held on November 5, 2024.

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