President Joe Biden said he would have beaten former President Donald Trump in the presidential election two months ago if he had run. At that time, Biden stepped down as a candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris took his place. However, he lost to former President Trump.
In an interview with USA Today on the 8th, President Biden noted, "It’s presumptuous to say this," but added, "Based on polls, I think I could have beaten former President Trump."
He said, "When Trump ran for re-election, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him," adding, "I didn’t want to be president at 85 or 86, so I talked about passing the baton to Harris."
With the onset of the second term of the Trump administration, President Biden commented on the issue of pardoning specific individuals in anticipation of political retaliation, saying, "It depends on who he (Trump) puts in what position."
President Biden emphasized, "Trying to settle scores with the past (issues) is inherently against his interests, and there’s no need to do that." He also stated that he has not made a decision on preemptive pardons.
Regarding his meeting with former President Trump, he said, "He praised some of the economic measures I took and said he thinks I am leaving with a good record."
When asked about the possibility of former President Trump wiping out Biden’s legislative achievements if he takes power, Biden responded, "There are already some Republican senators and representatives saying, 'Don’t block investment plans like A. They are going to invest $3 billion here to build a factory.'" He added, "I don’t know if he (former President Trump) will cancel these investment plans."