President Biden chose to volunteer a number of questions from reporters Friday after giving remarks on the day's jobs report, an address that had been scheduled on the White House's schedule at the last minute. .
The White House has recently been asked a number of questions about whether Biden will hold a press conference at the end of his term, but few have confirmed it. Mr. Biden appears to have held such a mini-press conference after his remarks in the Roosevelt Room on Friday around 6 p.m. He told the small group of reporters assembled that he would take some questions.
One of the investigations Biden filed concerned his decision on pardons. When asked if he intended to pardon himself ahead of the inauguration of Trump's next administration, Biden replied, “Why should I pardon myself?”
“No, I'm not going to forgive myself at all. I've done nothing wrong,” Biden said.
The issue surrounding his own pardon emerged weeks after the president granted a full and unconditional pardon to his son Hunter Biden. He insisted for more than a year that he would not pardon his son, then said in an announcement that he was pardoning Hunter Biden because he was the target of political prosecution.
Biden announced preemptive pardons for many of the president-elect's critics, including members of his executive team, including Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and former White House chief of staff. I've been talking with you. Medical advisor Anthony Fauci. He told USA Today in a recent interview that he has not yet decided whether to issue a pardon before leaving office.
There is only about a week left until Biden's inauguration as president.
In his remarks Friday, the president said he wanted to stay in the 2024 race, even though he was increasingly trailing then-candidate Trump in the polls and his debacle in the debates marked the beginning of the end for his presidential candidacy. He remained adamant that he could have defeated Trump. .
Biden said he decided to withdraw because he didn't want to risk dividing the Democratic Party. He ultimately supported Vice President Harris, who lost the race to President Trump.
“I could have beaten Trump, I could have beaten Trump, Kamala could have beaten Trump, I think he could have beaten Trump,” Biden said from the White House on Friday.
“Even if I thought I could win again, I thought it would be better to unify the party. Being president of the United States was the greatest honor of my life, but I didn't want to be the kind of person who would cause division within the party.” Losing the election “It was not unified for the sake of it,” he continued. “So I stepped aside. But I was confident she could win.”
When asked if Harris should run for president again in 2028, Biden answered that she should run as vice president.
“I think this is a decision that she should make. I think she has the ability to run again in four years,” Biden said. That will be for her to decide. ”
Some of Harris' allies blame Biden for her November election loss, arguing that she would have had a better chance of running a successful campaign had she resigned earlier in July.
Mr. Biden rarely appeared in front of the press in his final months, including on trips abroad where reporters tried to talk to him.
Biden is scheduled to deliver his final farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday.
