In a surprising revelation, President Joe Biden shared that his predecessor, Donald Trump, had offered him unexpected praise during their private meeting in the Oval Office.
This encounter took place a week after Trump's victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, a two-hour dialogue shrouded in mystery, with few details having been made public.
According to the Daily Mail, Biden disclosed to USA Today that despite Trump's previous criticisms, particularly concerning his age, the former president had some positive remarks to share. "I spent two hours with him. He talked about, he was very complimentary about some of the economic things I had done. And he talked about he thought I was leaving with a good record, kind of thing," Biden revealed.
Trump, who has been publicly critical of Biden's economic management and has often questioned his mental capacity due to his age, has been credited by voters for the soaring prices of food and other essentials. Trump, however, has consistently boasted about the robust U.S. economy under his administration. "In my administration, we have the greatest economy in history," he confidently declared to reporters at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump further expressed his optimism about the future of the U.S. economy, stating, "On January 20, we'll turn the economy around very quickly, because right now we have, when I think of our economy, I think about inflation, that's what we have. We have inflation, I believe, at a level that we never had before. There's never been anything like it. And over the next four years, the United States is going to take off like a rocket ship."
In his exclusive interview with USA Today, Biden also touched on the subject of preemptive pardons for individuals such as former Rep. Liz Cheney and Dr. Anthony Fauci, who have been threatened by Trump. Biden indicated that he had not dismissed the idea and had even suggested to Trump that such retaliatory actions were unnecessary. "A little bit of it depends on who he puts in what positions," he said. "I tried to make it clear that there was no need, and it was counterintuitive for his interest to go back and try to settle scores."
Biden also shared that Trump did not provide any insight into his plans, merely listening to his advice. Following their tenure in the White House, Joe and Jill Biden plan to return to Delaware, with a commitment to attend Trump's inauguration.
Reflecting on the 2024 presidential race, Biden expressed his belief that he could have secured a second term had he remained in the race. "It's presumptuous to say that, but I think yes," he admitted. Biden's withdrawal from the race in July followed a challenging debate with Trump, leading to pressure from party leaders, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for him to step down.
When questioned about his ability to endure another four years in the White House, Biden's response was introspective. "I don't know," he confessed. "Who the hell knows?" This candid admission underscores the uncertainty and challenges that come with the highest office in the land, even as the nation prepares for a new chapter under Trump's leadership.
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