President Joe Biden spoke with CBS News chief election & campaign correspondent Robert Costa on Wednesday for his first interview since announcing he would no longer seek reelection to the presidency. The interview will be broadcast on “CBS News Sunday Morning” on Sunday, August 11 on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.
Costa, the co-author (with Bob Woodward) of “Peril,” which detailed Mr. Biden’s decision to run in 2020, has extensively chronicled the Democrat’s political career and presidency. In recent months, Costa has traveled on the campaign trail covering Mr. Biden, speaking with the president about the power of organized labor and talking with his supporters in battleground states.
The one-on-one conversation, which took place at the White House this afternoon, covered the president’s decision, announced on July 21, to end his bid for a second term; his outlook on the country; and a range of other topics, including his reflections on American democracy.
He also discussed the threat posed by the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, who refused to accept his loss in 2020 and has questioned the legitimacy of election results.
Asked if he were confident that there would be a peaceful transfer of power in January 2025, Mr. Biden said, “If Trump loses, I’m not confident at all. He means what he says. We don’t take him seriously. He means it, all the stuff about, ‘If we lose, there’ll be a bloodbath, it’ll have to be a stolen election.’
“Look what they’re trying to do now in the local election districts where people count the votes,” Mr. Biden said, “or putting people in place in states that they’re going to count the votes, right?”
Tune in for a first look tonight on “America Decides,” the CBS News 24/7 streaming network’s politics show, airing 5:00-6:00 p.m. ET on CBSNews.com/live and Paramount+.
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