President Joe Biden may opt out of running for a second term due to health reasons
18 july 2024 в 06:37
President Joe Biden stated in an interview that will air on Wednesday that he may reconsider his decision to run against Donald Trump if a medical condition is discovered and diagnosed by doctors — the clearest sign yet that he may waver in his promise to seek a second term.
«Is there anything that you would look at yourself, personally… to say, 'If I see this, I will reassess?'» asked BET host Ed Gordon of the 81-year-old Biden in an interview conducted on Tuesday.
«If I had some medical condition, if someone, if doctors came to me and said, 'You have this problem, that problem,'» Biden said in today’s episode.
Mr. Biden has repeatedly stated that none of his doctors have informed him of a serious medical condition. White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote after the president’s physical examination in February that Mr. Biden is a «healthy, active, robust 81-year-old man who remains fit to successfully carry out the duties of the president».
But his disastrous performance in debates with Trump last month, which prompted a wave of calls even from Democratic allies to resign, raised questions about his health and mental acuity.
This comment is the latest in a series of changing explanations from the president about what could make him reconsider his decision. In an interview with ABC News earlier this month, Mr. Biden said he would only leave if «the Almighty» told him to. At a press conference in Washington a few days later, he said he would stay in the race until aides provided him with evidence that he could never win.
In the same interview, Biden said he feels the need to run again, rather than serve as a «transitional» leader, as he said in 2020, because the country is «so divided».
«I said I would be a transitional candidate, and thought I could pass it on to someone else», - he said. «But I didn’t anticipate that everything would become so, so, so divided. And, frankly, I think the only thing that age brings is a little wisdom».
«I think I’ve demonstrated that I know how to deliver results for the country, despite being told we couldn’t do it», - he continued. «But there is still a lot of work to do, and I am reluctant to give that up»
«Is there anything that you would look at yourself, personally… to say, 'If I see this, I will reassess?'» asked BET host Ed Gordon of the 81-year-old Biden in an interview conducted on Tuesday.
«If I had some medical condition, if someone, if doctors came to me and said, 'You have this problem, that problem,'» Biden said in today’s episode.
Mr. Biden has repeatedly stated that none of his doctors have informed him of a serious medical condition. White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote after the president’s physical examination in February that Mr. Biden is a «healthy, active, robust 81-year-old man who remains fit to successfully carry out the duties of the president».
But his disastrous performance in debates with Trump last month, which prompted a wave of calls even from Democratic allies to resign, raised questions about his health and mental acuity.
This comment is the latest in a series of changing explanations from the president about what could make him reconsider his decision. In an interview with ABC News earlier this month, Mr. Biden said he would only leave if «the Almighty» told him to. At a press conference in Washington a few days later, he said he would stay in the race until aides provided him with evidence that he could never win.
In the same interview, Biden said he feels the need to run again, rather than serve as a «transitional» leader, as he said in 2020, because the country is «so divided».
«I said I would be a transitional candidate, and thought I could pass it on to someone else», - he said. «But I didn’t anticipate that everything would become so, so, so divided. And, frankly, I think the only thing that age brings is a little wisdom».
«I think I’ve demonstrated that I know how to deliver results for the country, despite being told we couldn’t do it», - he continued. «But there is still a lot of work to do, and I am reluctant to give that up»
© Puhova Marina
