Biden claims he 'would've beaten Trump' in 2024 race, says Harris is 'competent to run again'

In an impromptu press conference on Friday evening, US President Joe Biden reiterated that he had no regrets about dropping his re-election bid. However, what garnered attention was when the POTUS said that he would have defeated the current US President-elect Donald Trump if he was still in the race.

The remarks from the 82-year-old president came with just over a week left in his term. Before taking questions from the reporters, Biden gave prepared remarks touting job gains and underscoring the economic accomplishments he has boasted about throughout his term. He discussed an array of topics while taking up questions from the reporters.

During the impromptu presser, Biden detailed the rationale for stepping out of the race in July after a deplorable debate performance. “I thought it was important to unify the party,” Biden said when asked if he had any regrets. “Even though I thought I could win again, it was always better to unify the party. And I had the greatest honor in my life to be president United States, but I didn’t want to be one who caused a party that wasn’t unified to lose an election. And that’s why I stepped aside," he added.

Biden on Harris’s future

The president insisted that he stepped aside from the race because he was confident that his Vice President Kamala Harris could have won the November 5 battle against Trump. However, the American Commander-in-chief maintained that Harris is competent enough to run again” in four years if she so chooses. “I think she’s competent to run again in four years. That will be a decision for her to make,” the 82-year-old said just 10 days before leaving the White House.

As of now, Harris has not revealed whether she would run for the White House again or pursue any other elected office. Biden, who was the oldest sitting president of the United States first ignored the question during an evening Q&A with journalists after he defended his own decision to seek re-election last year. Asked if his dropping out made it easier for Trump to be in the race. Biden responded: “I don’t think so.”

It is pertinent to note that Harris won the lowest Electoral College votes of any Democratic candidate since Michael Dukakis in 1988. Many believe if she decides to run again, she is likely to face tough competition for the 2028 Democratic Party nomination.

While concluding the presser, Biden told the reporters that he plans to remain in the public eye after leaving office — unlike some predecessors, such as George W. Bush, who almost never makes public remarks on contemporary politics. “I’m not going to be out of sight or out of mind,” he said.

With inputs from agencies.