Biden to deliver farewell address amid reflections on his presidency

Ten days before passing on the keys of the White House to Donald Trump, outgoing US President Joe Biden on Friday ruled out leaving from public life for now.

“I’m not going to be out of sight — out of mind,” Biden told reporters at the White House.

Biden, 82, was responding to reporters’ questions if he has decided what kind of role will he will have post-presidency.

“Do you plan to speak out after you leave Washington, or are you going to follow kind of more of the Bush model where you’re kind of out of sight and out of mind?” he was asked.

On 20 January, Donald Trump, 78, would be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.

On Friday, speaking from the Roosevelt Room, Biden said he didn't think that dropping out of the presidential race over the summer helped deliver the election to Trump.

Biden stepped aside amid enormous pressure from Democrats following a disastrous debate performance, and Kamala Harris ran in his place with just a few months to set up a campaign that normally is years in the making.

“I think I would have beaten Trump, and I think that Kamala could have — would have beaten Trump,” he said. “I thought it was important to unify the party. Even though I thought I could win again, I thought it was better to unify the party.”

Biden said he didn't want to cause a divided party to lose an election, adding: “That's why I stepped aside. But I was confident she could win.”

Traditionally, US presidents after leaving office stay away from public limelight. Biden, does not plan to do so. However, he did not reveal his plans post January 20th.

His predecessor Trump decided to run for office. Biden’s former boss Barack Obama who was the 45th President of the United States has stayed away from public life, except for some appearances, after leaving office on 20 January 2016.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden on Friday said that he has no plans to pardon himself asserting that he has done nothing wrong.

At the same time, he might be pardoning several others before he demits the office on 20 January, he indicated.

“No, I have no contemplation of pardoning myself for anything. I didn’t do anything wrong,” Biden told reporters at the White House here when asked if he had plans to pardon himself or any other member of his family.

The outgoing president has pardoned his son Hunter Biden. He might issue more pardons, he indicated. But it depends on several factors.

“One is that it depends on some of the language and expectations that Trump broadcasts in the last couple of days here as to what he’s going to do,” he said.

“The idea that he (Donald Trump) would punish people for not adhering to what he thinks should be policy as related to his well-being is outrageous, but there is still consideration of some folks but no decision,” Biden said in response to the question.

Biden on Friday said that he would have defeated Donald Trump in the November general elections, but he decided to withdraw from the race mid-way for the sake of the unity of the Democratic Party.

“Mr President, do you regret your decision to not run for re-election? Do you think that that made it easier for your predecessor to now become your successor?” Biden was asked during a news conference at the White House here.

“I don’t think so. I think I would have beaten Trump, could have beaten Trump and I think that Kamala (Harris) could have beaten Trump, would have beaten Trump,” Biden said in response.

“It wasn’t about — I thought it was important to unify the party and when the party was worried about whether or not I was going to be able to move even though I thought I could win again, I thought it was better to unify the party,” he said.

“It was the greatest honour of my life to be president of the United States but I didn’t want to be the one who caused a party that wasn’t unified to lose an election. And that’s why I stepped aside. But I was confident she could win,” Biden said.

Biden, 82, decided to withdraw from the US Presidential race against Trump after his disastrous performance at the presidential debate in Atlanta in June.

Following a lot of criticism from his own party leaders, Biden decided to withdraw from the race mid-way and endorsed his running mate Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.

Harris lost the election to Trump. The general elections resulted in a clean sweep for the Republican Party, which not only recaptured the White House, maintained its majority in the House of Representatives but also got a majority in the Senate.

On Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden said she was competent to run for presidency again in four years, noting that the decision on this would finally be on her.

“I think that’s a decision she might think she’s competent to run again in four years. That’ll be a decision for her to make,” Biden told reporters.

Biden made history in 2020 by appointing Harris as the first ever Indian American, African American and woman as the Vice President of the country.

Meanwhile President Biden will deliver a farewell address to the nation Wednesday from the Oval Office, five days before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in.

The president's remarks at 8 pm Eastern are set to be his last significant opportunity to speak to Americans and the world before he leaves office at noon 20 January. They will follow a speech Monday at the State Department, where he will deliver an address focused on his foreign policy legacy.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters earlier Friday that Biden would reflect on his “50-plus years as a public official" in his speech Monday.

“He has some thoughts on the future, not just of the country, but how this country moves forward as a leader, when you think about global events, important global issues, and certainly he will lay that out," she said.