US President Joe Biden has expressed confidence that he would have defeated Donald Trump and secured re-election in November.
In an exclusive interview with USA Today, Biden acknowledged, however, that he was uncertain whether he would have had the stamina for another four-year term.
“So far, so good,” the 82-year-old said. “But who knows what I’m going to be when I’m 86 years old?”
In the wide-ranging interview with Susan Page, Biden also said he was still considering pre-emptive pardons for foes of Donald Trump, including former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney and former senior health official Dr Anthony Fauci.
In the interview published on Wednesday, Biden said he had been “very straightforward with Trump” about the potential pardons during their Oval Office meeting shortly after the November election.
“I tried to make it clear that there was no need, and it was counterintuitive for his interest to go back and try to settle scores,” Biden said, adding Trump did not push back, but “just basically listened”.
Biden said his ultimate decision will depend on who Trump selects for his cabinet.
At that same meeting, Biden said Trump was “complimentary” about his economic record.
“He [Trump] thought I was leaving with a good record,” the Democrat said.
The interview with USA Today marks the only exit interview President Biden has given to a print publication.
Media access to Biden has been tightly controlled by the White House, and the president has not held a news conference since he withdrew from the race on July 21.
In the interview, the outgoing president also defended the full and unconditional pardon he granted to his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing sentencing for two criminal charges—tax evasion and illegally purchasing a gun—despite previously insisting he would not issue such a pardon.
Biden, who first arrived in Capitol Hill as a US senator in 1972, faced criticism from his own party over his apparent hesitation to step out of the presidential race amid concerns about his age and mental sharpness.
Speaking to USA Today, Biden stated that “based on polling,” he believed he would have won but acknowledged that his age might have impacted his ability to serve effectively in office.
“When Trump was running again for re-election, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him. But I also wasn’t looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old,” Biden said. “But I don’t know. Who the hell knows?”
After Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss to Trump, prominent figures in the Democratic Party, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have suggested that the Democrats may have performed better in the election if Biden had dropped out of the race earlier.