Joe Biden, while aboard Air Force One with civil rights leaders last week, made a surprising comment about being ‘replaced’ by Vice President Kamala Harris as a candidate. “Kamala and I talked,” Biden remarked amidst the background noise of cable news pundits speculating about Harris’ running mate. “I said she could pick me.”
After a brief pause, Biden clarified that he was joking. This moment of levity occurred before Biden’s first public appearance since withdrawing from the race, according to The Washington Post.
Upon landing in Austin, Texas, Biden was greeted with enthusiastic applause, marking his return after a period many thought would end his career. Now, Harris is the heir apparent, a fact that Biden seems to have accepted, despite initial hesitance.
“I didn’t sense any regret at all,” said Al Sharpton, who was aboard the plane. “He’s made his decision. He’s at peace with it. I sensed a man at peace with where he is and trying to move forward.”
Marc Morial, National Urban League president, who accompanied Biden throughout Monday, added, “He is reflecting. It’s very natural and very human to be in such a reflective mood after such a long and unique career. Try to think of who has had a career of such length and breadth.” He noted Biden’s long tenure, starting with his election to the New Castle County Council in Delaware in 1970.
Biden’s career is set to conclude in six months when a new candidate takes over. Those close to Biden told The Post that the transition has been smooth, with Democrats rallying behind Harris to challenge Trump. Biden himself has endorsed Harris, and prominent figures like the Obamas have followed suit, boosting her campaign.
This week, CBS News reported a firsthand account from Austin Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who was there when Air Force One landed. Doggett, who had earlier urged Biden to withdraw his reelection bid, was the third person to greet him on the tarmac. “Thank you for suggesting it,” Biden reportedly told him in a non-combative tone.
Rep. James E. Clyburn, one of Biden’s key allies, spoke positively about Biden’s outlook, revealing that the 81-year-old is already planning for the future. “He was particularly focused on where to go from here,” Clyburn said, referencing Martin Luther King Jr.’s book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? “Are we going to have chaos going forward or community going forward? That’s what’s on the president’s mind more than anything else.”
Sharpton added, “I think he’s looking at these six months as determined to prove his legacy by winning this election and being able to finish things he started. I definitely think he’s now seeing himself in historic terms rather than tomorrow’s newspaper or this evening’s TV show.”
As the election, now 96 days away, approaches, Harris—yet to officially declare a running mate—continues to gain momentum with her burgeoning campaign.