President Joe Biden predicted Wednesday that Donald Trump would not accept the results of the 2024 election and revealed the advice Barack Obama gave him to win the vote.
In an interview with CNN conducted in the battleground state of Wisconsin, Biden also explained why he thinks the polls are wrong and warned Israel that it would withhold US weapons if it invades Rafah.
He also admitted that he was watching coverage of Trump’s secret trial in New York – which included shocking testimony from porn star Stormy Daniels – and even had kind words for his Republican rival who remains stuck in a New York courtroom.
It was a rare interview by the president with a major media outlet. He primarily spoke to more consumer-friendly outlets, like the “Smartless” podcast and radio host Howard Stern.
President Biden sat down for an interview with CNN, a rare interview with a major media outlet
Biden sounded raspy in the 30-minute interview, which aired Wednesday night, but did not shy away from speaking out against his Republican rival even as he said he was praying for Trump.
“God loves him,” he said when asked about Trump’s secret trial in New York.
And added that he followed him “only on the evening news”.
He also predicted, as in the 2020 contest, that Trump would not accept the results of the November election.
“I promise you he won’t,” he told CNN’s Erin Burnett. “He won’t, which is dangerous.”
He also revealed what Obama advised him regarding his rematch with Trump.
“Keep doing what you’re doing,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly – and falsely – claimed to be the victim of voter fraud and to be the true winner of the 2020 election. Multiple recounts and investigations have shown Biden to be the winner.
The former president faces charges in Georgia for trying, along with his allies, to overturn Biden’s victory there.
But a Georgia appeals court on Wednesday delayed Trump’s criminal trial in that state, agreeing to hear an appeal from the former president that could rule out a trial taking place this year.
Trump faces four federal charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. But the case is awaiting a Supreme Court decision on whether or not Trump, then president, has immunity.
“God loves him,” Biden said of Donald Trump (above), on trial in New York.
In this courtroom sketch, defense attorney Susan Necheles, center, cross-examines Stormy Daniels, far right, as former President Donald Trump, left, looks on.
Biden, who was in Wisconsin to tout his economic record and announce an investment by Microsoft to build a factory, defended his handling of inflation.
Polls show voters are nervous about criticism and criticism of Biden’s handling of the economy.
But Biden, in his interview with CNN, claimed the polls were wrong.
“We’ve already turned it around,” Biden said in response to a question about whether, with less than six months before Election Day, he was running out of time to improve voters’ opinions of him.
In a recent CNN poll, Biden’s approval ratings for the economy (34%) and inflation (29%) were in the negative zone. And voters cite the economy as their concern when choosing a president.
“The polling data has always been wrong,” Biden said of the numbers, questioning the effectiveness of telephone surveys.
“I think I feel good about the trajectory of the campaign. And, and you know, in my opinion, most people don’t really focus and decide until the fall. There’s a lot going on,” he noted.
Biden’s re-election team has touted his massive fundraising numbers and on-the-ground operations in battleground states. They also point out that Trump must be in New York for the trial.
“By the end of the month, we will have at least 200 offices and 500 employees,” Dan Kanninen, battleground states director for the campaign, said during a briefing with reporters Tuesday.
“The Trump campaign has virtually no presence in most battleground states. If they decide to do any organizing work, they will almost certainly be forced to resort to expensive, last-minute tactics with people who have never set foot in a community in which they are knocking on doors.
National polls show a statistical tie between Biden and Trump. But in several polls conducted in key battleground states, the former president is leading.
With six months to go, anything can happen and many factors remain in play.
Biden, of late, has changed tactics against Trump. He’s made a habit of mocking his Republican rival by firing off zingers that call into question everything from the former president’s energy level to his hair.
At the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last month, Biden even mocked Trump’s secret trial in New York, pointing out that his rival was facing “stormy days” – a reference to porn star Stormy Daniels.
And recently at fundraisers, Biden talked about a “defeated-looking” man who complained to him about “crushing debt.”
“And I had to look at him and say, ‘Donald, I’m sorry. I can’t help you,” Biden said.
Donors in the audience generally clapped and applauded.
President Joe Biden revealed the advice Obama gave him
President Joe Biden meets with campaign volunteers at the Dr. John Bryant Community Center in Racine, Wisconsin.
Trump faces several lawsuits at the state and federal levels: including a New York secrecy case, a federal case over his handling of classified documents, and federal and state accusations that he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election .
He has had some respites, however, and it seems increasingly likely that he will not spend any more time in the courtroom – once the secret trial is over – before the election.
Biden, meanwhile, faces a volatile Middle East and progressives unhappy with his unwavering support for Israel and his treatment of Palestinian refugees.
Then there is Robert Kennedy Jr.’s independent bid for president. The Trump and Biden teams fear that Kennedy could play a spoilsport role, depriving each of them of voters.
Trump has stepped up his criticism of RFK Jr., and Biden has deployed a dozen Kennedy family backers to counter RFK Jr.’s use of the clan’s political heritage.
Biden’s health remains an issue. President will be 82 years old just a few weeks after Election Day, November 5, and he is already the oldest president in U.S. history; Trump is 77 years old.
And his approval rating remains at 38 percent, according to a Gallup poll.
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