President Joe Biden said that he is confident with his decision to quit the presidential race during a live interview on the daytime talk show “The View” in New York City.
“I am at peace with my decision,” he said regarding his announcement in July to step aside and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden added that he ran in 2020 to become “a transition president” and pass the torch to a new generation of leadership.
Biden commended Harris, describing her as “bright” and “tough,” and advised her to be herself to succeed in the upcoming election.
The 81-year-old president participated in a discussion with Whoopi Goldberg and her co-hosts, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro, at the show’s New York City studio.
He talked about the upcoming election, his accomplishments, and his goals for his remaining months in the White House.
During the show, Biden refuted the speculation that he was forced out of the race by some Democrats including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“That wasn’t the reason that I stepped down. I stepped down because I started thinking about it,” he said, referring to his age.
“The View,” which began airing in 1997, is targeted toward a female audience. This was the first live appearance by a sitting president on the ABC show, the network said. It was Biden’s 10th appearance on the show; he first appeared as a senator in 2007.
Biden, who wore a pin featuring the U.S. and Ukrainian flags, also lauded his foreign policy, claiming that foreign leaders are concerned about a second Trump term.
On Sept. 24, he delivered a keynote address at the U.N. General Assembly for the last time as U.S. president.
Former President Barack Obama also visited the program in 2010, but his interview was pre-recorded.
Vice President Kamala Harris was also a guest on the show in January this year.
Other political figures who have appeared on the show this election cycle include former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).
Biden has indicated that in his final four months in office, he seeks to highlight his achievements and leave a positive legacy in areas such as the economy and foreign policy.
He has directed his Cabinet to “get as much work done as possible,” according to a recent memo from his senior adviser Ben LaBolt titled “President Biden’s ‘Sprint to the Finish.’”
The memo outlined the president’s strategy for the upcoming weeks, urging his team to “ramp up efforts to communicate to the American people” what it is getting done.
During his speech at the United Nations, Biden defended his foreign policy legacy before world leaders while urging them to unite in addressing the big challenges, including the need to end the wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan.
On Sept. 19, he delivered a speech at the Economic Club of Washington, touting his economic policies and the progress made since taking office.
He praised the Federal Reserve’s move to sharply lower interest rates, stating that the U.S. economy has entered “a new phase.”
