Biden casts doubt on his fitness to serve another four years days before term ends

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Updated 12:06 PM CST, January 8, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden, in a new interview days before he leaves office, cast doubt on his fitness to serve another four years even as he maintained that he could have won election to a second term.

The outgoing Democratic president also told USA Today in the interview published Wednesday that he tried during his Oval Office meeting with President-elect Donald Trump to discourage the Republican from going after his political opponents, as he has said he would. And Biden said he had not decided whether to issue sweeping pardons to preemptively protect those individuals from any possible retribution by Trump or the incoming administration.

“I don’t know,” Biden responded when USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page asked if he would’ve had the vigor to serve another four years in office. Biden and Page sat down at the White House on Sunday for the president’s rare interview with a print publication.

Biden, 82, talks about how he didn’t intend to run for president in 2020, but says that when Trump sought reelection last year, “I really thought I had the best chance of beating him. But I also wasn’t looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-pardon-fitness-reelection-interview-eb84cf6c3e201fa6100419b9fe616f8a

[AverageOldGuy]

1. When will Trump admit . . .

? ? ? ? ?

[Unladen Swallow]

2. Yep.

[KPN]

11. Yep what?

[Rebl2]

3. If he

truly had doubts, why didn’t he say something in 2023 to the effect he would not run again. For crying out loud, maybe Harris or some other democrat could have won the election.

[TexasBushwhacker]

4. Yup. Then we could have had a proper primary n/t

[LisaM]

20. He has been a fantastic president.

I am tired of hearing otherwise.

[LisaM]

5. That headline is very misleading (not the OP's headline).

Biden actually said "I don't know" in response to a direct question whether he thought he had enough vigor for another four-year term.

As usual, the media twists the response and cooks up a provocative headline.

[Tactical Peek]

6. Perzactly.

And as you say, per usual.

[LymphocyteLover]

16. fascist complicit media part 3,334,991

[Polybius]

14. Some here spoke up about it in 2022 and 2023

While I was silent on the matter, what I saw in response wasn't pretty.

[LisaL]

7. I am not sure why we should be worried about Biden's fitness

to serve another 4 years, considering that Trump is the president elect.

[AZ8theist]

13. Exactly

We have demented senile drug-adled 3rd grade intellect smooth-brained IMBECILE about to destroy America.

And the media is asking if the President (who dropped out of the race) would be able to govern when he's in his late 80s???

How about asking the Treasonous pig if he is competent?? When is the 79 year old going to reveal his senility??

[republianmushroom]

8. It catches up to all of us.

[usonian]

10. BIDEN COUGHS. REPORTER CALLS 911 AND PRIEST FOR LAST RITES.

💩

[delisen]

12. Biden has done amazing work in this past 8 months.

Building things up takes hard work and planning. Tearing things down not so much.

[LudwigPastorius]

15. "I also wasn't looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old."

Ya know, you could have told us this back in April of 2023, Joe.

[maxsolomon]

22. Jan. 21, 2021 would have been even better.

[HereForTheParty]

17. I'd much prefer Joe with no vigor to Trump

He'd be surrounded by the right people. I'm reminded of FDR's final months.

[inwiththenew]

18. He also said he could have won

I don't know why he is getting into these hypotheticals with the media. It's a gotcha game.

[ificandream]

19. Link to full interview

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143369364

[alarimer]

21. The media keep doing this to Biden but they NEVER do it to Trump

Though it's been clear since 2016 (at least) that he is not fit for the job.

[maxsolomon]

23. Reputable news organizations don't get access to MFer.

He talks to RW Media. That's it.