United States President Joe Biden sat down for an exclusive interview with USA Today in his final days as president, where he reflected on his time in office and responded to Trump’s future plans.
Biden discussed issues like his legacy as president, last November’s elections, and president-elect Donald Trump’s economic goals with USA Today’s Washington bureau chief Susan Page.
“I hope that history says that I came in and I had a plan how to restore the economy and reestablish America's leadership in the world,” Biden said. “And I hope it records that I did it with honesty and integrity, that I said what was on my mind.”
Biden said he believed he could have won November’s presidential election. “It's presumptuous to say that, but I think yes,” he said. Biden left the race in July due to concerns over his age and health.
However, he said he was unsure if he could have served another full term as president. Biden, now aged 82, was the oldest person ever elected to a first term.
Biden said he is still considering preemptively pardoning figures like former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, who Trump has said he hopes to prosecute. Cheney served as vice chair of the congressional committee that investigated the “January 6” Capitol attack.
“I tried to make it clear [to Trump] that there was no need [to prosecute Cheney], and it was counterintuitive for his interest to go back and try to settle scores,” Biden said, though he said he has not yet decided whether to issue a pardon.
The President also criticised Trump’s economic proposals, including his flagship tariffs. “I think if he moves on the tax cuts of $5 trillion, I think if he moves on dealing with increasing tariffs across the board, all they are is increasing cost for consumers in America.”
Biden paid tribute to 39th president Jimmy Carter, who died in December at the age of 100. “Carter was a decent man,” he said. “I think that he really genuinely cared about average people.” Biden will deliver Carter’s eulogy this week.
Biden has rarely given interviews during his term. He has participated in fewer interviews and press conferences than any president in over forty years, Axios said in July.
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