WASHINGTON — In what appeared to be his first formal interview with a journalist since taking office, President Biden focused on the ties between his late son Beau and a transgender congressional candidate.
Biden, 81, spoke to Chris Cain, a reporter for the Washington Blade, a Washington, D.C.-based LGBTQ newspaper, on Thursday. Preview released Biden's remarks Friday were about Delaware Sen. Sarah McBride, who won Tuesday's Democratic primary for an open House seat.
McBride, 34, became the first openly transgender member of Congress and worked on Beau Biden's reelection campaign as state attorney general in 2010 while attending American University.
“I called her and said, 'Sarah,' and I said, 'Beau is looking down on you from heaven and blessing you,'” the outgoing president said.
“[Beau] Biden told the outlet that McBride was “trying to get rid of him because he hired her.” McBride came out as transgender in 2012, two years after being hired by Biden's campaign.
When McBride came out as transgender, Biden said his son called him and said, “I'm so proud of you. I love you and you're still a part of the Biden family.”
“She's now going to be the next woman in Congress, the next woman in Congress from Delaware,” the president told the Blade, whose print edition is available free at corner stores and bars around Washington.
Biden told the paper that McBride's “emotions started pouring out” during the call this week, and that she responded, “I'm here because of Beau. He had confidence in me.”
The president has not given an on-the-record interview to a reporter from another newspaper since taking office in January 2021, but he has given several magazine interviews and spoke to an Associated Press reporter in 2022.
