Biden Says ‘Who The Hell Knows’ If He Could’ve Made It Four More Years In Post-Election Admission

President Joe Biden expressed uncertainty about whether he could have made it through another term in what appears to be his final print interview of his administration.

In an interview that largely revolved around the president’s legacy and what he hopes it will be, the 82-year-old reflected upon how he was ousted from the presidential race following a disastrous debate performance. Though he continues to believe he could have beaten President-elect Donald Trump if he stayed in the race, Biden admitted to the USA Today that he is unsure if he could have served another four years. (RELATED: Biden Curses At Reporters Amid Bizarre Rant About Immigrants)

“Do you believe you could have won in November?” USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page asked the president.

“It’s presumptuous to say that, but I think yes, based on the polling that,” the president said.

“Do you think you would’ve had the vigor to serve another four years in office?” she followed up.

“I don’t know. That’s why I thought when I first announced, talking to Barack about it, I said I thought I was the person. I had no intention of running after Beau died – for real, not a joke. And then when Trump was running again for reelection, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him,” Biden began.

“But I also wasn’t looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old. And so I did talk about passing the baton. But I don’t know. Who the hell knows? So far, so good. But who knows what I’m going to be when I’m 86 years old?” the president added.

In the final weeks of his administration, the president and his aides have expressed regret in Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race, The Washington Post reported. But even as Biden and his aides believe the 82-year-old could have defeated Trump, they have been careful to not pin the blame for the loss on Vice President Kamala Harris, people familiar with their comments told WaPo.

The president has been rather absent from the national scene since he pulled out of the presidential race, and even more since election day. In November, reporters begged the president to take questions as he returned from his trip to the G20 Summit in which he only took one question while out of the country.

USA Today wrote that during their nearly hour-long interview, the president was “engaged and loquacious,” yet at one moment during the interview, he was unable to recall when his son Hunter Biden struggled with addiction and committed crimes he recently pardoned him for. (RELATED: Biden Forgot When His VP Run Began And Ended, Beau’s Death During Classified Docs Interview, Special Counsel Says)

The USA Today’s Biden interview: he “was engaged and loquacious.”

Also Biden in the USA Today interview: cannot remember when Hunter committed his crimes/had a drug problem. pic.twitter.com/dWFRZBktoV

— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) January 8, 2025

“Speaking of pardons, every parent can understand why you would want to protect your son. Do you have any concerns that your pardon of Hunter sets a precedent for future presidents? One that might be open to abuse?” Page asked the president.

“I hope not, because I meant what I said when I was asked whether I was going to pardon my son. But then I found out two factors. Number one, that he had paid all his taxes. He paid them late. He was fighting a drug problem. And he beat it. He’s been square and sober for almost six years now. This was back in ’80, I mean excuse me, in 2000 and … What year was it? Anyway, long time ago,” the president started.

“And that he paid it all. And that there were hundreds of people with only 3, 4, or $500,000 who were being, moving on civilly. He paid all his taxes. He paid the back taxes. He paid… He was late. He should have paid it on time. And that he was in a court throughout a plea deal that was agreed to,” he finished.