On Friday, President Biden surprised the press by voluntarily answering a few questions after giving a speech about the latest job report. The White House had scheduled the speech at the last minute, but it seemed like Biden was ready for some unscripted moments.
Recently, the White House has been under pressure to confirm whether Biden would hold a press conference before the end of his term, but the answer has remained unclear. However, at around 6 p.m. on Friday, after his remarks from the Roosevelt Room, Biden turned the tables and decided to field some questions from the gathered press.
One key question was about his decision on pardons. A reporter asked if Biden would consider pardoning himself ahead of a potential Trump administration. Biden, looking a bit surprised, quickly responded, “Why would I pardon myself for?” He added, “No, I have no contemplation of pardoning myself for anything. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
This question about self-pardon came shortly after Biden granted a full and unconditional pardon to his son, Hunter Biden. Despite saying for over a year that he wouldn’t do it, Biden explained that the pardon was given because Hunter had been subjected to what he called “political prosecution.”
There’s also been talk about whether Biden would offer pardons to some of Trump’s critics before leaving office, such as Senator Adam Schiff, former Representative Liz Cheney, and Dr. Anthony Fauci. In a recent interview, Biden said he hadn’t made any decisions yet.
With just about a week left in his presidency, Biden also took a moment to reflect on the 2024 election. Despite polling showing him trailing Trump and facing a tough debate performance, Biden insisted he would have beaten Trump had he stayed in the race. He said he dropped out to avoid dividing the Democratic Party, even though he had confidence in Vice President Kamala Harris’s ability to win.
Biden made it clear that it was the “greatest honor” of his life to be president, but he didn’t want to risk hurting the party’s chances of winning the election. He added, “I think Kamala could have beaten Trump and would have beaten Trump.”
When asked if Harris should run for president again in 2028, Biden left the decision to her, saying, “I think that’s a decision she should make.” He also expressed confidence in her abilities, noting that she was “competent to run again in four years.”
Some of Harris’s supporters have blamed Biden for not stepping aside sooner, believing it would have given her a better shot at building a campaign to win the election.
As Biden winds down his final days in office, his public appearances have been fewer, with less interaction with the press—especially on his recent trips abroad. But before he officially leaves office, Biden is expected to give his farewell address from the Oval Office on Wednesday.
It seems like the end of an era is near, but Biden’s candidness and willingness to engage with the press leave us with some final reflections as his presidency wraps up.