Former U.S. President Joe Biden has spoken publicly for the first time about his decision to step down from the 2024 presidential race.
Biden said it was a difficult decision to withdraw from the race.
He, however, expressed no regrets for the decision.
Biden, a Democrat, had stepped down for his former Vice President, Kamala Harris in the build-up to the presidential election.
Harris eventually lost the presidential election to Donald Trump of the Republican party.
Prior to his withdrawal, it was speculated that Biden was not fit to go for a second term due to alleged health issues.
However, speaking with BBC, Biden said the outcome of the vote would not have been any different if he had made the decision earlier.
Asked if he should have left sooner to allow more time for a replacement to be chosen, Biden said: “I don’t think it would have mattered.”
On the 80th anniversary of VE Day, and in his first interview since leaving the White House, Biden explained: “Things moved so quickly that it made it difficult to walk away. And it was a hard decision.”
He added: “I think it was the right decision. I think that… it was just a difficult decision.”
