U.S. President Joe Biden, who is approaching retirement, stated that if he had not withdrawn from the 11/5 presidential election last year, he would have defeated Donald Trump and won. However, he also acknowledged that at 82 years old this year, he might not have had the stamina to serve another four years.
In an interview with USA Today released on the 8th (local time), President Biden was asked, "Do you think you could have won the election last November?" He replied, "It might be a bit much to say this, but based on the polls, I think so (I could have won)."
When further asked if he believed he had the stamina to serve another four years, he acknowledged the risks of old age, saying, "So far, I'm okay. But who knows what will happen when I turn 86?" He added, "When Trump ran for re-election, I thought I had the highest chance of beating him," but also said, "I didn't want to be president at 85 or 86."
Earlier, after the first TV debate with Trump, as concerns about old age risks spread, Biden withdrew from the Democratic candidacy a few months before the election. Subsequently, Vice President Kamala Harris ran as the Democratic candidate but lost to Trump. Trump is scheduled to be inaugurated on the 20th.
The interview also touched on the possibility of President Biden issuing a "preemptive pardon" before leaving office to prepare for retaliations from Trump. A preemptive pardon is a measure where a sitting president broadly pardons certain individuals before they are investigated or indicted, thereby exempting them from legal punishment.
Biden said, "It depends somewhat on who he (Trump) puts in what positions," confirming that he has not yet decided on issuing a preemptive pardon. He also mentioned a meeting with Trump shortly after last year's election, stating, "I made it clear that going back to seek revenge is directly against his interests and unnecessary."
Currently, targets of retaliation from Trump's side include former Republican Representative Liz Cheney, who served as vice-chair of the January 6th Congressional riot special committee; Democratic Representative Adam Schiff, who led the investigation into the January 6th riot as chair of the House Intelligence Committee; and Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who supported vaccines during the pandemic and clashed with Trump.
Additionally, President Biden added that during the approximately two-hour meeting, Trump highly praised his economic achievements and said he was leaving behind a good legacy.
When asked if he was concerned that Trump would overturn his legislative achievements, including the infrastructure law, after taking office, Biden replied, "I think there will be problems." He pointed out, "There are already some Republican senators and representatives saying, 'Don't block the plans in our states. They will invest $3 billion to build factories,'" adding, "I don't know how he will eliminate these investments."
Furthermore, Biden said, "Now he (Trump) might ruin investments by focusing on expanding tax cuts for the wealthy," and criticized, "Keep in mind that the economy he inherited from Barack Obama during his first term was quite good. But when Trump left office, there were fewer jobs than when he took office." He also warned that if the so-called Trump tariffs are enforced, "it will only increase costs for American consumers," and emphasized, "If he eliminates major programs like infrastructure or climate laws, he will only harm himself and the economy."
When asked how he thinks history will evaluate his legacy as president, Biden responded, "I think we are at one of the turning points in the post-Cold War world. Not because of a particular leader, but because of the nature of what is happening worldwide," and said, "I hope they say that I planned to restore the economy and reestablish America's leadership in the world."
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