"But didn't want to"

Forest fires continue to rage in the Los Angeles area

Joe Biden wants to be remembered by his fellow countrymen as a president who had "a clear plan to recover the US economy after the coronavirus pandemic and restore the United States' leadership role in the world".

(Bild: APA/AFP or licensors)

Joe Biden's presidential candidacy star faded completely after his completely botched TV duel against his opponent Donald Trump in July. The incumbent also came under extreme criticism within his party and was famously replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris, who was also unable to do much against Trump. In an interview, Biden now regrets his withdrawal from the race for the White House and makes people sit up and take notice.

In an interview with the newspaper "USA Today", the 82-year-old does not rule out the possibility that, unlike Harris, he could have won the presidential election against Trump on November 5. When asked whether an election victory would have been realistic for him, the head of state replied: "I think so".

He really thought he had "the best chance" of beating the Republican. "But I also didn't want to be president when I was 85 or 86 years old. And so I've talked about passing the baton," says Biden. "But I don't know. Who the hell knows? ... Who knows what I'm going to be when I'm 86 years old?"

Biden is the oldest president in US history and has repeatedly been confronted with questions about his physical and mental fitness during his time in office. When asked about things he may regret during his time in office, Biden does not mention the TV duel or his broken promise to serve only one term and to form a "bridge" to the next generation. Instead, he laments the slow progress on major infrastructure projects and the misinformation that manipulated the political debate. 

This TV duel sealed Biden's exit from the race for the White House.

(Bild: Getty Images/SCOTT OLSON)

Biden asked Trump to refrain from revenge
In his meeting with Trump after his election victory in the White House, he asked the Republican not to take revenge on political opponents as he had announced, Biden said in the interview. However, Trump did not respond to this. 

He wants to be remembered by his fellow countrymen as a president who had a clear plan for the recovery of the US economy after the coronavirus pandemic and for restoring the United States' leadership role in the world, says the outgoing incumbent. "That was my hope, and who knows? I hope that it will be remembered that I did it with honesty and integrity. And that I said what was on my mind."