President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he will not seek re-election, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
In an interview with BET News, President Biden mentioned he would reconsider running if advised by his doctor due to a serious medical condition. “If a doctor told me directly that I had a medical condition that made it necessary, I would re-evaluate,” Biden stated.
Despite assurances from Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, that Biden is “a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency,” concerns about his health arose following a poor performance in a recent debate with former President Donald Trump. This debate sparked calls from Democratic allies for Biden to step aside.
Biden addressed these concerns in his interview, admitting, “If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, if doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem,” he would reconsider his candidacy.
This statement marks another shift in Biden’s stance on his re-election. Earlier this month, he told ABC News he would withdraw only if “the Lord almighty” directed him to. He later mentioned he would stay in the race unless aides provided evidence that he could not win.
In the BET interview, Biden acknowledged a mistake in the debate and said he would re-evaluate if his doctors changed their assessment. He also revealed for the first time that he had planned to “move on” from the presidency, intending to serve only one term, but felt compelled to run again due to the country’s worsening divisions.
“You may remember Ed, I said I was going to be a transitional candidate, and I thought I would be able to move on from this and pass it on to somebody else,” Biden said. “But I didn’t anticipate things getting so, so, so divided. And quite frankly, I think the only thing age brings is a little bit of wisdom.”
This admission is Biden’s clearest indication that he initially considered serving only one term. During his 2020 campaign, he positioned himself as a transitional candidate, hinting at passing the torch to a new generation of political leaders, notably Vice President Harris.
However, his political advisers argued that the transition would span eight years, with a second term extending this period longer than initially anticipated. Biden’s latest comments suggest he changed his mind about serving only one term.
“I think I’ve demonstrated that I know how to get things done for the country despite being told we couldn’t get it done,” Biden told Gordon. “But there’s more to do, and I’m reluctant to walk away from that.”
Earlier this month, Biden reiterated this sentiment at a Washington news conference, explaining that the gravity of the situation influenced his decision. “What changed was the gravity of the situation,” he said. “My long time in the Senate equipped me with the wisdom to know how to deal with Congress to get things done. We got more major legislation passed that no one thought would happen. And I want to finish — to get that finished.”
