Biden Reflects on 2024 Election, Discusses Stamina and Pardons

In a recent interview, President Biden expressed confidence he could have won against Donald Trump, while also contemplating the implications of his age for future leadership.

In an exclusive interview with USA Today, President Joe Biden suggested he believes he would have triumphed over Donald Trump if he had run for re-election. However, the 82-year-old expressed doubts about his stamina for another four-year term, noting, "So far, so good. But who knows what I’m going to be when I’m 86 years old?"

During the discussion with journalist Susan Page, Biden touched on the possibility of granting preemptive pardons to prominent Trump critics, including former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney and former health official Dr. Anthony Fauci. He mentioned that his approach in private discussions with Trump had been candid regarding these potential pardons, emphasizing that retaliatory actions would be counterproductive for Trump's interests.

Biden also recalled an Oval Office meeting soon after the November election where Trump complimented him on his economic track record, introducing a note of camaraderie despite political differences. The exclusive interview serves as Biden's only exit interview with a print publication, as media access has been heavily restricted under his administration, and he has not held a news conference since dropping out of the presidential race on July 21.

Amid rising concerns from within his party about age-related fitness for leadership, Biden reiterated his belief that recent polling suggested he would have been a strong contender against Trump. "When Trump was running again for re-election, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him," he stated, while acknowledging his hesitation about a potential presidency at 85. Influential Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have voiced that the party may have had better prospects if Biden had exited the race sooner after Vice President Kamala Harris's loss to Trump.