In First Interview Since Dropping Out, Joe Biden Says: ‘I Stepped Down To…’

In his first interview since stepping down from the presidential race, U.S. President Joe Biden revealed his decision was driven by a commitment to safeguard democracy and to prevent former President Donald Trump from regaining office. Speaking with CBS News on Sunday, Biden explained that his choice to withdraw and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate was influenced by polling data and concerns within his party.

“The polls we had showed that it was a neck-and-neck race, would have been down to the wire,” Biden stated, adding that several Democratic colleagues feared his candidacy might jeopardize their chances in upcoming elections. Biden expressed concern that staying in the race would shift the focus away from critical issues. “You’d be interviewing me about ‘Why did [former speaker of the House of Representatives] Nancy Pelosi say…’ ‘Why did so-and-so…’ And I thought it’d be a real distraction,” he added.

At 81, joe Biden opted to back Harris in July, citing the need to “maintain democracy” and “defeat Trump.” He emphasized, “I think I have an obligation to the country to do what [is] the most important thing you can do, and that is, we must, we must, we must defeat Trump.”

Initially, polls showed Trump gaining an advantage over Biden, particularly after a debate in late June where Biden’s performance raised questions about his cognitive abilities. However, Harris’s entry into the race appears to have shifted the dynamics. A recent Ipsos poll indicated that Harris leads Trump nationally by 42 percent to 37 percent. Although the Democratic Party has yet to officially nominate Harris, there are ongoing debates within the party about her ability to secure victory against Trump.

In addition to the election, Biden addressed the ongoing conflict in Gaza during his CBS interview. He maintained that a ceasefire is still possible before his presidency ends, despite the escalating violence. “The plan I put together, endorsed by the G7, endorsed by the UN Security Council, et cetera, is still viable,” Biden said, adding that his administration is working to prevent the conflict to escalate further into a regional war.

Al Jazeera’s Washington correspondent, Alan Fisher, noted that Biden’s declining poll numbers could be attributed in part to his support for Israel in its war against Gaza, where nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed. Biden has faced growing criticism for his administration’s military support for Israel, which some human rights groups argue is fueling the ongoing violence.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. called on Israel and Hamas to resume ceasefire talks, but hopes for peace were dampened by a deadly Israeli airstrike on a Gaza school on Saturday that killed more than 100 Palestinians. The attack has intensified calls for the U.S. to reconsider its support for Israel, including the provision of weapons. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, voiced his frustration on social media, stating, “It’s past time to end the charade. Israel doesn’t want peace or a ceasefire. Why are we still sending Israel weapons?”

As the conflict rages on, with tens of thousands dead and wounded in Gaza, Biden’s stance on the issue remains a focal point of both domestic and international scrutiny.