In his first interview since dropping out of the presidential race, US President Joe Biden advised broadcaster CBS that he made the choice to protect democracy in the US.
Talking on CBS Information’ Sunday Morning present, Biden mentioned: “The polls we had confirmed it was a really shut race, it could have been determined within the final minute… However what occurred was plenty of my Democratic colleagues within the Home and Senate thought it was going to harm them within the election.”
“And I used to be anxious that if I stayed within the race, that might be the subject. I might be interviewed about ‘Why [former speaker of the House of Representatives] Nancy Pelosi mentioned… ‘Why is so-and-so…?’ And I assumed that might be an actual distraction,” Biden added.
The 81-year-old chief dropped his re-election bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his presidential candidate in July.
Biden burdened that along with what the polls confirmed him, the principle cause behind his choice was additionally to “protect democracy” and “defeat Trump,” referring to former President Donald Trump, who’s as soon as once more the Republican Occasion’s presidential candidate.
“I assumed it was essential. As a result of, whereas it’s a nice honor to be president, I consider I’ve an obligation to the nation to do what I need.” [is] “A very powerful factor we will do is defeat Trump.”
Polls initially confirmed Trump had constructed up a lead over Biden, even in battleground states, after Biden’s efficiency within the June 27 debate, when he appeared to wrestle to talk coherently and when his efficiency strengthened the argument that he now not had the cognitive capability to be president.
However Harris’s entry into the race has modified the dynamic.
An Ipsos ballot launched Thursday confirmed Harris main Trump nationally by 42 % to 37 % within the race for the Nov. 5 election.
Whereas the Democratic Occasion has but to formally announce Harris as its presidential candidate, some throughout the get together have been questioning whether or not she will beat Trump.
‘Ceasefire attainable’
Along with the election, Biden additionally spoke about Israel’s struggle in Gaza and burdened that he nonetheless believes a ceasefire is feasible earlier than his presidency ends.
“The plan that I’ve put collectively, endorsed by the G7, the UN Safety Council, and so forth., stays viable. And I’m working actually each day, and my total group, to guarantee that it doesn’t flip right into a regional struggle. However it may be simple,” Biden advised CBS.
Reporting from Washington DC, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher mentioned one of many massive causes polls have been telling Biden he couldn’t win re-election was his assist for Israel in its struggle on Gaza, the place almost 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, and his failure to safe a ceasefire.
“He [Biden] “He mentioned he would ship extra members of his group to Israel to shut the deal,” Fisher mentioned.
On Thursday, Qatar, Egypt and the US referred to as on Israel and Hamas to renew negotiations to succeed in a ceasefire within the Gaza Strip. In a joint assertion, the three international locations urged Israel and Hamas to “resume pressing talks” on August 15 in Doha or Cairo “to shut all remaining gaps and start implementing the settlement with out additional delay.”
However amid requires a ceasefire, a lethal Israeli assault on a faculty in Gaza on Saturday has renewed requires the US to additionally cease offering steadfast assist to Israel, together with arms transfers that human rights advocates say are fueling atrocities within the Palestinian enclave.
Gaza’s civil protection company mentioned greater than 100 Palestinians have been killed and dozens extra wounded on Saturday when Israel launched an assault on the al-Tabin college in Gaza Metropolis.
“America and its allies declare {that a} ceasefire is coming, however all Palestinians see is extra loss of life, displacement and despair. The genocide continues,” wrote James Zogby, co-founder and president of the Arab American Institute, on social media.
“It’s time to put an finish to this farce. Israel doesn’t need peace or a ceasefire. Why will we proceed to ship weapons to Israel?”
Washington has confronted rising home and worldwide criticism, together with from human rights teams, for its navy assist for Israel. Saturday’s airstrike got here a day after a U.S. State Division spokesman mentioned the US will present Israel with $3.5 billion to spend on American weapons and navy gear after Congress appropriated the funds in April.
“We all know that Hamas has been utilizing colleges as locations to fulfill and function,” the White Home mentioned.
“However we now have additionally repeatedly and persistently mentioned that Israel should take measures to attenuate hurt to civilians.”
At the very least 39,790 folks have been killed and 92,002 wounded in Israel’s struggle on Gaza. An estimated 1,139 folks have been killed in Israel in the course of the Hamas-led assaults on October 7 and greater than 200 have been taken prisoner.
