In a candid exchange, BBC host Nick Robinson confronted Joe Biden with a provocative question: does he regret not stepping aside earlier in the presidential race to give another candidate a fighting chance against Donald Trump?
This interview marks Biden’s first public discourse since vacating the Oval Office in January.
Robinson initiated the conversation by acknowledging Biden’s evident passion and anxiety about the rapidly shifting global landscape. He recalled, “For a long time, you believed you were the one who could halt Donald Trump.”
Continuing, Robinson pointed out, “You did once manage to do so. Yet, ultimately, you withdrew from the election campaign at the 11th hour. It’s a question that many ask, Mr. President.”
The query hung in the air: “Did you leave it too late? Should you have exited sooner, thereby giving someone else a greater opportunity?”
Former President Biden gave his first interview post-presidency to the BBC, on why he decided to stay in the race. pic.twitter.com/qpYyRPeydO
— Dror Moshkovski (@drormosh) May 7, 2025
A significant number of Democrats have long attributed Kamala Harris’ unexpected defeat to Biden’s tardy exit from the race, which only occurred in July 2024.
Biden responded thoughtfully, “I don’t believe it would have made a difference. We departed at a time when we had a strong candidate, fully funded. What transpired was that I had become–.”
He elaborated, “What we aimed to accomplish, no one thought possible. My success in advancing our agenda made it difficult to say, ‘Now I’m going to step back.’”
Biden expressed, “When I began, I meant what I said about being ready to transfer power to the next generation, to a transitional government. However, the pace of change made it hard to walk away, and it was a tough decision. But—”
“Regrets, though?” Robinson pressed further.
“No, I believe it was the right decision. Well, it was just a challenging choice,” Biden concluded.
