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Joe Biden said in an appearance on The View that he was “at peace” with his decision to drop out of the presidential race, even as the hosts questioned him on the pressure he faced within his own party to exit.
“I loved it — it sounds corny, but I loved my country more,” Biden said.
His appearance — the first live in studio visit to the show by a sitting president — felt a bit of a valedictory, as the president sat with the co-hosts against a backdrop of photos from his 50-year career, and clips of his past appearances on the show were shown before commercial breaks.
That said, co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin asked him, “We all agree at this table that it was very selfless of you to pass the baton and step aside. There was a perception that perhaps your hand was forced, and some pointed fingers to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who you have a long relationship and accomplished many things with. Did you feel your hand was forced and what is your relationship with Nancy Pelosi now?”
Biden gave a terse, “My relationship is fine.”
“Look, I never fully believed the assertions that somehow there was this overwhelming reluctance of my running again,” he said. I didn’t sense that. “And although — they said Biden’s polling was different. The fact of the matter is, my polling was … always within range of being this guy. … It makes sense. There were some folks who would like to see me step aside so they have a chance to move on. I get that. That’s just human nature. But that wasn’t the reason that I stepped down. I stepped down because I started thinking about it.”
He told Farah Griffin, “I know you’re only 30, but it’s … hard for me to even say how old I am. I’m serious. I give my word. It’s like, ‘holy God, that can’t be right. This can’t be right.'”
Joy Behar then interjected, “By the way, the number gives me vertigo.” She and Biden are the same age — 81.
Biden said, “No woman close to me is as old as I am. None.”
Whoopi Goldberg then quipped, “Right now they are.”
