US outgoing President Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris‘s potential candidacy for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, asserting she was “competent” despite her significant defeat to President-elect Donald Trump.
On Friday night, speaking just 10 days before his White House departure, Biden stated, “I think she’s competent to run again in four years. That will be a decision for her to make.”
In 2020, Biden achieved a significant milestone by selecting Harris, making her the first Vice President of the United States who is of Indian American and African American heritage, as well as the first woman to hold this position.
Following a poorly received presidential debate against Donald Trump in Atlanta during Summer 2024, Biden stepped down from the presidential race and gave his support to Harris, who subsequently secured the Democratic Party’s nomination for president.
However, in the November 5 election, Harris was unsuccessful in her bid against Trump for the presidency. She has yet to disclose what she intends to do next.
The departing president initially avoided addressing questions about his own re-election bid during an evening press conference, where he had been discussing employment statistics, New York Post reported.
Biden insisted, “I think I would have beaten Trump, could have beaten Trump, and I think that Kamala could have beaten Trump, would have beaten Trump,” whilst looking downwards, offering no explanation for Harris’s loss in all seven battleground states.
Addressing his withdrawal, Biden explained his priority was party unity, particularly following a poor June debate performance that sparked concerns about his cognitive abilities amongst fellow Democrats.
“It was the greatest honour in my life to be president United States, but I didn’t want to be one who caused a party that wasn’t unified to lose an election,” Biden elaborated, expressing confidence in Harris’s capabilities.
Harris, who secured the lowest Electoral College votes for any Democratic candidate since Michael Dukakis in 1988, had planned an international tour highlighting diplomatic achievements. However, she cancelled due to ongoing California wildfires.
The planned itinerary included Singapore for Asian policy discussions, Bahrain for Middle Eastern affairs, and Germany to address NATO’s response to Russia’s Ukraine invasion.
Biden concluded by announcing his intention to maintain public visibility post-presidency, unlike George W. Bush’s approach to contemporary politics, stating, “I’m not going to be out of sight or out of mind.”
