On 11/9/2022, Joe Biden delivered remarks on the 2022 midterms and called on Preapproved List of 10 reporters. Q: Who is tougher competitor: DeSantis or Trump? A: fun watching them take on each other. A reporter asked Joe Biden, “You saw Governor Ron DeSantis with a resounding victory in Florida last night. Who do you think would be the tougher competitor: Ron DeSantis or former President Trump? And how is that factoring into your decision?”
Biden: It’d be fun watching them take on each other. (Laughter.)
Q: Trump 2024? Biden: “ I’m making sure he… not become the next President again”
A reporter asked Joe Biden, “So the entire genesis of that G7 conversation was tied to your predecessor, who is about to launch another campaign. So how do you reassure them, if that is the reason for their questioning, that the former President will not return or that his political movement, which is still very strong, will not —”
Biden: Oh, yeah? (Laughs.)
Reporter: once again take power in the United States?
Biden: Well, we just have to demonstrate that he will not take power by — if we — if he does run. I’m making sure he, under legitimate efforts of our Constitution, does not become the next President again.
A reporter asked Biden, “Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said last night that, “It is clear we are going to take the House back.” Do you think he’s probably right about that?”
Biden: Well, based on what we know as — as of today, we’ve — we’ve lost very few seats for certain. We still have a possibility of keeping the House, but it’s going to be close.
Reporter: When it comes to your legislative agenda — when you were Vice President, your legislative agenda basically ran into a brick wall two years in when Republicans took control of the House, and that lasted for the rest of the Obama presidency. Is there any way for you to prevent that same fate from happening this time around —
Biden: Yes.
Reporter: if Republicans take control of the House?
Biden: Yes, because it’s going to be much closer if they take control. Look, the predictions were — and again, I’m not being critical of anybody who made the predictions. I got it, okay? This was supposed to be a red wave. You guys — you were talking about us losing 30 to 50 seats and this was going to — we’re nowhere near — that’s not going to happen. And so, there’s always enough people in the — on the other team, whether it’s Democrat or Republican, that the opposite party can make an appeal to and maybe pick them off to get the help. And — and so it remains to be seen. But, look, I doubt whether or not — for example, all the talk — I’d ask, I don’t expect you to answer, but the rhetorical question: Do you think that, you know …
Reporter: on 2024 now that the votes have been cast in the midterms. Two thirds of Americans in exit polls say that they don’t think you should run for reelection. What is your message to them? And how does that factor into your final decision about whether or not to run for reelection?
Biden: It doesn’t.
Reporter: What’s your message to them — to those two thirds of Americans?
Biden: Watch me. (Laughter.)
Reporter: Okay. One more. (Laughter.) Very quickly.
Reporter: the same moment that your predecessor is considering launching his reelection effort. How should those world leaders, both good guys and bad guys, view this moment both for America and for your presidency?
Biden: Well, first of all, these world leaders know we’re doing better than anybody else in the world, as a practical matter. Notwithstanding the difficulties we have, our economy is growing. You saw the last report; we’re still growing at 2.6 percent. We’re creating jobs. We’re still in a solid position. And there’s not many other countries in the world that are in that position.
And I promise you, from the telephone calls I still have and from the meetings I have with other heads of state, they’re looking to the United States and saying, “How are you doing? And what are you doing? What can we do together? How…”
So I think that the vast majority of my colleagues — at least those colleagues who are NATO members — European Union, Japan, South Korea, et cetera — I think they’re looking to cooperate and wanting to know how — how we can help one another.
And what was the other question?
Reporter: (Inaudible) I hadn’t asked it yet.
Biden: Oh, I’m sorry.
Reporter: No, no, no. So, I think the — one way to follow up on that is you noted that you felt like there was a shift in terms of people being willing to show more decency in this moment. You’ve often talked about breaking the fever or kind of a transition from this moment that we faced over the last several years. Do you feel like the election is what represents that? Do you feel like the fever has broken, I guess?
Biden: Well, I’m not — I don’t think we’re going to break the fever for the super mega MAGA Republicans.