WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President , in a new interview days before he leaves office, cast doubt on his fitness to serve another four years even as he maintained that he could have won election to a second term.
The outgoing Democratic president also told USA Today in the interview published Wednesday that he tried during to discourage the Republican from going after his political opponents, as he has said he would. And Biden said he had not decided whether to issue those individuals from any possible retribution by Trump or the incoming administration.
鈥淚 don't know,鈥� Biden responded when USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page asked if he would've had the vigor to serve another four years in office. Biden and Page sat down at the White House on Sunday for the president's rare interview with a print publication.
Biden, 82, talks about how he didn't intend to run for president in 2020, but says that when Trump sought reelection last year, 鈥淚 really thought I had the best chance of beating him. But I also wasn鈥檛 looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old."
鈥淏ut I don't know. Who the hell knows?" he added. 鈥淪o far, so good. But who knows what I鈥檓 going to be when I鈥檓 86 years old?鈥�
Did he believe he could have been reelected? 鈥淚t鈥檚 presumptuous to say that, but I think yes," Biden said, citing polling.
Concerns about Biden's age and fitness had followed him since he announced his bid for reelection, but he under pressure last July after faltering in a debate against Trump. He endorsed Vice President . to the Republican.
In the interview, Biden said he was considering preemptive pardons but had not decided whether to issue any. When he and Trump met in the Oval Office after the election, Biden said, 鈥淚 tried to make it clear that there was no need, and it was counterintuitive for his interest to go back and try to settle scores.鈥�
Trump didn't answer one way or the other, Biden said, adding, 鈥淗e just basically listened.鈥�
Biden said his 鈥済reatest fear鈥� is that Trump will eliminate parts of major He also took Trump to task for implying that the driver of the deadly in New Orleans was an immigrant who had entered the U.S. from Mexico.
The FBI has identified the driver, , a U.S. citizen from Texas and an Army veteran. Fourteen people were killed and nearly three dozen were injured in the attack. Jabbar was killed by police.
Biden said he bets many people read what Trump said about the attacker and believe it.
鈥淗ow do you deal with that?鈥� he said, referring to his successor as someone "not known for telling the truth.鈥�
Darlene Superville, The Associated Press
