It’s only been two months since President Joe Biden stepped down from the Democratic presidential ticket, but that’s an eternity in politics. Now that Vice President Kamala Harris is the nominee, sometimes it can feel like Ol’ Joe is just an afterthought. He pushed back against that notion recently in a far-reaching interview with the women of The View.
Biden has been in politics for more than 50 years. He started as a senator from Delaware and worked his way all the up to the highest public office an American can hold. But all dynasties come to an end – something the president seems keenly aware of.
Biden also made The View history by becoming the first sitting president to appear on the long-running program live. President Barack Obama appeared on the show in 2010, but he did so in a recorded interview. So how did he feel about stepping down at such a critical time for the country? He said he is “at peace” with the decision.
“Look, when I ran this last term, I saw myself as a transition president, transitioning to a new generation of leadership,” Biden said about moving aside for a new generation of leadership. “I know I only look 40 but I’m 180 years old — been around forever.”
Regardless of the reality, Biden claims that he still would’ve cleaned President Donald Trump’s clock had he stayed in. “Yes. I was confident I would beat Trump. He’s a loser.” As for his thoughts on Vice President Harris, Biden called her “smart as hell.”
“Working with Kamala, she is bright, she is tough, she’s honorable. And the thing I like about her, and one thing we share in common, is that we have an optimistic view of the future here. There’s nothing we can’t do.”
When asked to describe America, Biden called it a land of “possibilities” where anything could happen. His time in the oval office? “The greatest honor in the world,” he said. While he loved that honor, he said he knew he had to step down because he loved his country more.
Now that he’s ending not only his presidency but his official political career, Biden’s thoughts have turned to his legacy and how he wants to be remembered. He said he wanted people to recall that he was “honest about what I’ve done, straight up.” However, he said he rests easier knowing that he’s handing the leadership of the country off to someone who “believes in our capacity” and “believes in who we are.” “And that’s what I like most about Kamala,” he said.