Biden says he could have defeated Trump

Joe Biden believes he could have won reelection if he had continued his campaign, he stated in an interview published on Wednesday—although he admitted uncertainty about whether he would have served another full term. The 82-year-old Democrat, who will leave office on January 20, was asked by USA Today if he thought victory over Republican Donald Trump was a realistic possibility last November, and he pointed to unspecified polling, saying: "I think yes."

“I really thought I had the best chance of beating him. But I also wasn’t looking to be president at 85 or 86 years old. And so I did talk about passing the baton,” Biden explained.

However, he added, “I don’t know. Who the hell knows? So far, so good. But who knows what I’m going to be like at 86?”

As the oldest U.S. president in history, Biden faced consistent scrutiny over his mental fitness before withdrawing from the election, following a disastrous televised debate against Trump, where many believed he appeared unable to make a convincing case for another term.

He has conducted fewer sit-down interviews and press conferences than any president since Ronald Reagan, and USA Today was the only print outlet scheduled for a one-on-one interview before Biden leaves office.

Biden was asked if he had any regrets from the last four years, but he did not mention the presidential debate, or his decision to break his promise to serve only one term and act as a "bridge" to the next generation. Instead, he pointed to misinformation—specifically the false claims spread by Trump and others regarding attacks on New Year’s Day in New Orleans and Las Vegas—and also criticized the slow progress of infrastructure projects.

“I think we would’ve been a hell of a lot better off if we’d been able to push harder on getting some of these projects off the ground sooner,” he said.

Washington has been abuzz with speculation since Trump’s victory about potential preemptive pardons for those who might become targets when the Republican leader returns to office. Biden confirmed he was considering the idea but hadn’t made a decision yet.

He described how he told Trump during their Oval Office meeting shortly after the election not to go after perceived enemies, warning that it would be "counterproductive to his own interests to go back and try to settle scores.” Trump listened, but did not respond, Biden said.

Regarding his legacy, the veteran Democrat expressed a desire to be remembered for his plan to restore the post-pandemic economy and reestablish American global leadership.

“That was my hope. I mean, you know, who knows?” Biden said. “And I hope history records that I did it with honesty and integrity, that I said what was on my mind.”