Biden Comments On Dropping Out Of Race In New Interview
In his first full interview since leaving office, former President Joe Biden offered a forceful defense of his decision to remain in the 2024 presidential race, brushing off criticism of his timing and painting his exit as the end of a historically effective administration.
The interview, released Wednesday by the BBC, reveals a reflective yet resolute Biden — adamant that stepping aside earlier wouldn’t have altered the election’s outcome and insistent that his record justified the extended stay.
“I had become so successful in our agenda, it was hard to say, ‘Now I’m going to stop now,’” Biden told the BBC, alluding to what he saw as transformative progress on domestic and international fronts.
Though critics pointed to sagging approval ratings, visible signs of fatigue, and a shaky debate performance against Donald Trump as warning signs, Biden insists his decision was rooted not in ego, but momentum.
“It was a hard decision,” he admitted. “I’m preparing to hand this to the next generation… but things moved so quickly that it made it difficult to walk away.”
The interview wasn’t just a retrospective — it was also a warning. Biden slammed the Trump administration’s posture on foreign policy, particularly criticism leveled by Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth toward NATO allies. Both had accused Europe of freeloading off American military support. Biden, a staunch supporter of transatlantic alliances, pushed back firmly.
“It’s a grave concern,” he said. “I think it would change the modern history of the world.” For Biden, the erosion of U.S. leadership risks leaving a vacuum “China and the former Soviet Union, Russia” are eager to fill. “We’re the only nation in a position to bring people together,” he added, directly countering the Trumpian worldview of transactional diplomacy.
Biden also blasted Trump for entertaining fantastical ideas like annexing Canada or purchasing Greenland, ideas the former president has floated in interviews and campaign speeches.
“What the hell is going on here?” Biden asked, incredulous. “What president ever talks like that? That’s not who we are.”
To Biden, such rhetoric embodies a fundamental deviation from America's core identity — not just in governance, but in vision. “We are about freedom, democracy, opportunity — not about confiscation.”