Biden Drops Out Because “The Most Important Thing” Is “We Have to Defeat Trump”: CBS News
In his first live interview since canceling his 2024 campaign, President Joe Biden told CBS News reporter Robert Costa that he withdrew because he feared it would distract from the Democrats’ efforts to defeat the Republican nominee Donald TrumpTheir discussion, which aired on CBS Sunday Morning, covered that infamous presidential debate, Biden’s plans for the rest of his campaign and what a Trump presidency could look like.
“While it is a great honor to be president, I think I have a duty to the country,” Biden said. “The most important thing,” he continued, is “we have to, we have to, we have to defeat Trump.”
The interview comes three weeks after Biden dropped out of the race and quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala HarrisWhat followed was a fast-paced and energetic campaign for Harris and her newly appointed vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The Democrats’ reshuffle of the ticket has shaken up their opponents’ strategies and undermined what, before Biden’s decision, appeared to be a coordinated campaign. Much of Trump and the Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance‘s response was filled with misogynistic and racist criticism aimed at Harris.
After Biden’s troubling debate performance in late June, Democratic lawmakers across the country began calling on the president to reconsider his campaign. Some of Biden’s closest allies, such as former President Barack Obamaare becoming increasingly nervous. A key concern is that Biden’s poor polling performance could have a negative impact on lower-level races in closely contested contests.
“Look,” Biden said in an interview with CBS, “I had a really, really bad day in that debate because I was sick. But I had no major problems,” adding that he “couldn’t even say how old I was; it was hard for me to say that.”
“What happened,” Biden began, explaining why he ended his campaign, “was that some of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought I was going to hurt them in the race. And I was concerned that if I stayed in the race, that would be the subject.”
“You’re going to interview me about, ‘Why Nancy Pelosi say? ‘Why is this person saying that?’” Biden continued. “I think that would be a real distraction.”
Biden is planning to hit the campaign trail again in the coming months—but this time to cheer on his former running mate. The president said he will work with the Pennsylvania governor and vice presidential candidate Josh Shapiro to secure that battleground state’s 19 electoral votes. Biden said he would also visit other states, adding that he wanted to do “whatever Kamala thinks I can do to help the most.”
“I talk to [Harris] regularly, and by the way, I know her running mate is a great guy,” Biden said of Walz. “As we say, if we grew up in the same neighborhood, we’d be friends. He’s the kind of guy I like. He’s down to earth, he’s smart. I’ve known him for decades. I think it’s a great team.”
Biden said he plans to focus on the ongoing war in Gaza and efforts to avoid further escalation into a regional war during his term, saying a ceasefire during his presidency is “still possible.” His comments came after an Israeli airstrike on a school where the men were sheltering killed at least 100 people and wounded dozens more on Saturday morning, according to Gaza’s civil defense. The White House issued a statement after the attack calling on Israel to “minimize civilian casualties.”
Biden also mentioned his efforts to reform the Supreme Court, calling the institution “totally unbalanced.” On July 29, the president released a three-part blueprint for how to ensure “no one — not the President or the Supreme Court — is above the law.”
First, pass “a constitutional amendment stating that no President is above the law or immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office,” in response to the court’s recent immunity ruling in favor of Trump. Second, establish 18-year term limits for judges. Third, “Congress should adopt binding, enforceable rules of conduct and ethics” requiring judges to disclose gifts, refrain from overt political activity, and recuse themselves from cases where there is a conflict of interest for their spouse or themselves.
ONE USA TodayAn Ipsos poll in early August found that a majority of both Democrats and Republicans support the reforms.
In Biden’s first Oval Office remarks since leaving the race, he said nothing “can stand in the way of saving our democracy.” Even, he added, “personal ambition.” Throughout Biden’s interview with Costa, the president repeatedly reiterated his concerns about the future of American democracy if Trump wins in November. “Mark my words,” Biden warned, “if he wins this election [election]Look what happens, he is a real danger to the security of America.”
Trump has said there would be a “bloodbath” if he is not elected.
When Costa asked the president if he was “confident” there would be a peaceful transfer of power in 2025, Biden was quick to respond.
“If Trump loses, I don’t trust him at all.”
