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Jimmy Williams
In his first interview since announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, President Joe Biden emphasized that his decision was driven by a need to ensure the Democratic Party could fully concentrate on what he sees as a crucial mission: preventing former President Donald Trump from regaining the White House.
Speaking with Robert Costa, CBS News’ chief election and campaign correspondent, President Biden detailed the factors that influenced his decision, which he made at his family home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in late July. The decision came just weeks after a debate with Trump that raised concerns within Democratic circles about Biden’s re-election prospects.
“The polls we had showed that it was a neck-and-neck race, would have been down to the wire,” Biden told Costa. “But what happened was, a number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was gonna hurt them in the races. And I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic. You’d be interviewing me about ‘Why did Nancy Pelosi say…’ ‘Why did so-and-so…’ And I thought it’d be a real distraction.”
Biden explained that his initial run for the presidency was envisioned as a transitional period. “When I ran the first time, I thought of myself as being a transition President. I can’t even say how old I am; it’s hard for me to get it outta my mouth. But things got moving so quickly, it didn’t happen.”
However, Biden stressed that the most critical issue for him remains the preservation of democracy. “It’s not a joke – maintaining this democracy. I thought it was important. Because, although it’s a great honor being president, I think I have an obligation to the country to do what [is] the most important thing you can do, and that is, we must, we must, we must defeat Trump.”
On July 21, Biden publicly announced his decision to withdraw from the 2024 race, and three days later, he addressed the nation from the Oval Office, stating that he would not let personal ambition stand in the way of “saving our democracy.” Following his speech, Biden shared a poignant moment with his family, reflecting on the pride they felt in his decision.
Costa also touched on the president’s late son, Beau Biden, and the influence his memory continues to have on the president’s decisions. “Whenever I have a decision that’s really hard to make, I literally ask myself, ‘What would Beau do?'” Biden said, recalling a promise he made to his son to stay engaged in public life even after Beau’s passing.
Reflecting on the state of American democracy, Biden drew a direct line from the events in Charlottesville in 2017, which inspired his 2020 run, to the current threats posed by Trump. “When I saw the neo-Nazis and white supremacists coming out of fields in America with torches, carrying Nazi banners, singing the same, sick antisemitic bile that was sung in Germany in the ’30s, and when her daughter was killed, the press went to then-President Trump and said, ‘What do you think?’ He said, ‘There are very fine people on both sides.’ I knew then, I knew I had to do something.”
Biden expressed deep concerns about the future of American democracy should Trump return to the presidency. He cited Trump’s rhetoric and actions as evidence of a growing threat, including his stance on pardoning those involved in the January 6th Capitol attack. “Under his presidency, they came out of those woods with no hoods, knowing they had an ally,” Biden said, emphasizing the danger he believes Trump poses to the country.
Looking ahead to the remainder of his term, Biden also addressed ongoing international concerns, particularly the conflict between Israel and Hamas. He remained hopeful for a ceasefire, stating, “It’s still possible. The plan I put together, endorsed by the G7, endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, et cetera, is still viable.”
As his time in office draws to a close, Biden remains committed to the principles that guided his presidency. “You can’t love your country only when you win,” he reminded, underscoring his belief in democracy and the importance of unity in the face of division.
