WASHINGTON: In his first television interview since withdrawing from the presidential race, US President Joe Biden strongly criticized former President Donald Trump, branding him as a “genuine danger to American security.” The interview, which aired on CBS News on Sunday, was recorded last week in the White House.
During the interview, Biden warned of the consequences if Trump were to win the upcoming election. “Mark my words, if he wins… this election, watch what happens,” Biden cautioned. He emphasized that the nation is at a critical juncture in world history, where maintaining democracy is crucial. “He’s a genuine danger to American security. Look, we’re at an inflection point in world history… and democracy is the key,” Biden said.
At 81 years old, Biden has been largely absent from the public eye following his exit from the presidential race. His withdrawal was precipitated by a poor debate performance against Trump, which raised concerns about his age and cognitive abilities.
In the interview, Biden acknowledged his disappointing debate performance but assured that he had “no serious problem” with his health. He explained that his decision to exit was influenced by concerns from other Democratic Party members who feared his candidacy might harm their re-election chances.
Biden said that his primary focus now is to prevent Trump from regaining power. “A number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the (election) races,” Biden said.
“A critical issue for me still is — not a joke — maintaining this democracy. I have an obligation to the country to do what is the most important thing we can do, and that is — we must, we must, we must defeat Trump.”
Biden expressed his pride in his administration’s achievements, including job creation, investment, and Covid recovery. He reiterated his commitment to supporting Vice President Kamala Harris, who has taken over as the Democratic nominee. “I’m going to do whatever Kamala thinks I can do to help most,” Biden stated.
The former president also reflected on his own expectations when he first took office. He admitted that he initially saw himself as a “transition president” and had expected to serve only one term. “I thought of myself as being a transition president. I can’t even say how old I am. It’s hard for me to get it out of my mouth, but things got moving so quickly, it didn’t happen,” Biden told CBS’s Robert Costa.
Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign has faced scrutiny for its light schedule. Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, has been actively defending the campaign on various Sunday morning talk shows. Vance addressed a range of issues, including white supremacist attacks, child care, asylum seekers, and abortion.
In an exchange with CBS’s Margaret Brennan, Vance expressed frustration over repeated questions about abortion, stating, “I’m still trying to get a clear answer.” He also claimed that Kamala Harris was the primary decision-maker in the Biden administration, questioning, “If she’s not calling the shots, Dana, who is?” in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash.
