President Biden Expresses Concerns Over a Potentially Unstable Power Transition
President Joe Biden has voiced significant concerns over the possibility of a peaceful transfer of power to Vice President Kamala Harris if former President Donald Trump loses the upcoming election.
In an interview excerpt released by CBS on August 7, President Biden was asked whether he trusted that a smooth transition of power would occur in January 2025.
“If Donald Trump loses, I have no confidence that this will happen peacefully,” Biden stated. “Everything Trump says implies there will be ‘bloodshed if he loses.'”
President Biden, 81, announced last month that he would not seek re-election, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate. Throughout his campaign earlier this year, Biden frequently highlighted the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, which occurred after he defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
Speaking to supporters in Ohio in March, Trump pledged to impose a 100% tariff on cars manufactured outside the United States, emphasizing that only his presidency could safeguard the domestic auto industry. “If I am not president, there will be bloodshed in this industry and the entire nation,” Trump warned.
President Biden often references this statement, though Republicans argue that Trump was merely addressing the issue of electric vehicle imports. Additionally, Trump continues to claim that the 2020 election was stolen, despite lacking evidence.
During the CBS interview, Biden accused the former president of attempting to position allies in key electoral roles within states to manipulate vote counts if he loses again. “You can’t be patriotic only when you win,” Biden remarked. The full interview is set to air on August 11.
As of now, Trump’s campaign team has not responded to President Biden’s statements.
President Biden has long accused Trump of being a threat to American democracy. While Vice President Harris occasionally echoes this sentiment, she focuses more on a positive vision for the campaign. She currently holds a narrow lead over Trump in recent polls.
