Washington:
Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Friday said that he would have defeated Republican Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential elections, but he decided to withdraw from the race mid-way for the sake of the unity of his Democratic Party.
During a press conference at the White House, he was asked by a journalist, “Mr President, do you regret your decision to not run for re-election? Do you think that that made it easier for your predecessor to now become your successor?”.
“I don’t think so. I think I would have beaten Trump, could have beaten Trump and I think that Kamala (Harris) could have beaten Trump, would have beaten Trump,” Mr Biden responded.
“It wasn’t about – I thought it was important to unify the party and when the party was worried about whether or not I was going to be able to move even though I thought I could win again, I thought it was better to unify the party,” he added.
He also said it was the “greatest honour” of his life to be the US president.
“But I didn’t want to be the one who caused a party that wasn’t unified to lose an election. And that’s why I stepped aside. But I was confident she could win,” he said.
The 82-year-old leader withdrew from the US Presidential race against Donald Trump after his disastrous performance at the presidential debate in June.
Following a lot of criticism from his own party leaders, Mr Biden decided to withdraw from the race mid-way and endorsed his running mate Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
Ms Harris, however, lost to Mr Trump and the November 5 elections resulted in a clean sweep for the Republican Party, which not only recaptured the White House, maintained its majority in the House of Representatives but also got a majority in the Senate.
‘Kamala Harris Competent To Run Again In Four Years’
Joe Biden said Kamala Harris is “competent” to run for the presidency again in four years, adding that the decision on this would finally be on her.
“I think that’s a decision she might think she’s competent to run again in four years. That’ll be a decision for her to make,” he told reporters.
Mr Biden made history in 2020 by appointing Ms Harris as the first ever Indian American, African American and woman as the Vice President of the US.
Mr Biden will also give a televised farewell address to the nation on January 15, five days before Donald Trump returns to power.
