Biden: "Trump is a loser... If he hadn't given up the election, I would have won"

U.S. President Joe Biden criticized former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, on the 25th (local time), saying he has "little redeeming value." He also expressed confidence that he would have defeated Trump if he had not withdrawn from the presidential race this November. Regarding Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the Democratic presidential candidate, he expressed strong support, saying she "is energetic, intelligent, persistent, and courageous enough to do the right thing."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

President Biden made these remarks during a live broadcast of ABC News' "The View." This is the first time a sitting president has appeared live, rather than via a recorded segment, on this program.

At the event, President Biden said he was "satisfied" and "at peace" with his decision to withdraw from the presidential race. When asked if he believed he would have won the November election had he not withdrawn, he replied, "Yes," emphasizing, "I was confident I would beat Trump. He is a loser." He also added that various poll results always showed he was within a winning range.

Biden, who initially considered himself a "transitional president" at the start of his term, explained, "I have successfully accomplished so many things that people thought impossible, so I ended up spending more time than originally planned," adding, "This delayed the passing of the torch." He also said his relationship with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was reported to have led calls within the Democratic Party for Biden to withdraw his candidacy, is fine.

On the same day, President Biden showered praise on Vice President Harris, who succeeded him as the Democratic presidential candidate. He said, "She is strong and honorable," and evaluated, "One of the things I like about her and what we share is an optimistic view of the future." Additionally, his advice to President Harris for winning the election was to "be yourself."

On the other hand, he criticized former President Trump, saying he has "little redeeming value socially." He claimed that Trump "does not believe in democracy" and does not understand the value of global alliances. Biden also said that his reason for running in the 2020 presidential election was "to restore the soul of the nation."

The New York Times (NYT) reported that this was Biden's 10th appearance on "The View," starting from his time as a senator in 2007. The broadcast lasted about 30 minutes. The NYT noted, "Barack Obama's appearance in 2010 was a recorded segment. This is the first live appearance by a sitting president," adding that it was "one of Biden's farewell messages with about four months left in his term."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

While visiting New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, President Biden acknowledged concerns about a full-scale war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah during the broadcast. He said, "There is a possibility of a full-scale war," but also stated, "I still see an opportunity to reach an agreement that fundamentally changes the entire Middle East." He emphasized that while he supports Israel, he does not agree with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's position and stressed the need for a ceasefire and a two-state solution.

Since the 23rd, the Israeli military has been conducting a large-scale airstrike campaign targeting Hezbollah bases in Lebanon under the operation named "Northern Arrow," continuing for three days. In response, Hezbollah has also launched ballistic missiles targeting the headquarters of Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency, escalating tensions between the two sides. Major foreign media reported that the Biden administration, along with other countries including France, is seeking diplomatic agreements, including a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon.