President Biden, who has long said he ran for the White House in 2020 because of his concern for former President Donald Trump, has decided to withdrew from the 2024 presidential race last monthHe said his decision was partly motivated by his belief that he needed to keep the nation’s attention on Trump and unify the Democratic Party ahead of the November election.
In a interview with “CBS News Sunday Morning”, Airing Sunday, August 11, Mr. Biden explained to CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa his historic decision not to seek reelection, echoing his previous statement that he would serve as a transitional figure in American presidential politics.
“When I first ran, I thought of myself as a transitional president,” Biden, 81, told Costa. “I can’t even say how old I am — I have a hard time saying it.”
Biden has expressed support for Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to be nominated as the Democratic standard-bearer at the party’s national convention in Chicago this month.
“We must, we must, we must defeat Trump,” Biden said in the interview, which took place in the Treaty Room of the White House residence.
“While it’s a great honor to be president, I think I have an obligation to the country to do what I… the most important thing that anyone can do. And that is we must, we must, we must defeat Trump,” he said.
Mr Biden announced he was withdrawing from the 2024 race and endorsed Harris as the Democratic Party nominee on Sunday, July 21 — nearly a month after her debate with Trump, which concerned some of his fellow Democrats and sparked controversy. Dozens of people have called for its removal.
In a Oval Office Address On July 24, Mr. Biden declared that “nothing, nothing, can stand in the way of saving our democracy,” including his ambition for a second term.
A CBS News Poll Results released on August 4 showed Harris gaining ground by one point nationally and tied in all key states. Mr. Biden was down by 5 points when he left the race.
Harris is hoping that Tim Walz, Minnesota’s optimistic two-term governor, will give her Democratic ticket new momentum and help her win key states.
Robert Costa
