Biden calls 2024 debate fallout 'not very consequential' despite expecting second Trump matchup
WASHINGTON, DC: Former President Joe Biden on Wednesday, November 11, downplayed the significance of his June 2024 debate against now-President Donald Trump, describing the televised encounter as “not very consequential” despite the political pressure that followed and ultimately led to his withdrawal from the presidential race.
In an interview with People magazine, Biden said he had expected another debate with Trump and did not believe his performance had ended his chances of securing a second term. The former president also said he would not have run for re-election had he known about his cancer diagnosis.
Biden says he expected another debate after Trump showdown
Reflecting on the June 27, 2024, CNN presidential debate, Biden said he regarded his performance as a mistake rather than a decisive moment in the campaign.
"Look, I don't know anybody who hasn't made a mistake in a debate," Biden said. "To me, it was not very consequential. First of all, I thought there'd be another debate, which there wasn't."
Joe Biden now claims his 2024 presidential debate against President Trump, which forced him to drop out of the race, was not very consequential: “To me it was not very consequential. First of all I thought there would be another debate, which there wasn’t. Notwithstanding the fact that there wasn’t another debate, it didn’t disturb me because it wasn’t consequential.” Just 24 days after the “not very consequential” presidential debate, Joe Biden ended his campaign for President.
— Steve Cortes (@SteveCortes) November 11, 2026
The debate intensified concerns about Biden's age and ability to serve another four years after he struggled to complete sentences and respond to questions during the live broadcast. His performance prompted growing criticism from Democratic lawmakers, donors and party allies, with pressure mounting for him to leave the race.
Biden subsequently announced his withdrawal from the presidential race on July 21, 2024, just 24 days after the debate. He endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Harris went on to lose to Trump in November 2024.
The debate attracted 51.3 million viewers across television networks, including 9.53 million on CNN. Biden's performance became the central focus of the broadcast, overshadowing much of the candidates' discussion of policy.
Biden also defended his qualifications for another term, pointing to his relationships with international leaders.
"I had very good relationships with all the major leaders in the world," he said. "And so I believe that on an objective basis I was the best-equipped person to do the job."
Biden says cancer diagnosis would have changed his re-election decision
Biden also addressed his stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer diagnosis, which he announced in May 2025, four months after leaving the White House.
The former president said he would have made a different decision about running for another term if he had known about the illness while campaigning.
Joe Biden: If I had known that I was feeling lousy because I had cancer, I would have resigned. I would not have gone forward because I don't think an 80-year-old man with cancer should be running. But that wasn't the case. It was a circumstance where I thought that I had the capacity, I think I did, to bring a wider array of support for the United States and our positions from around the world. I had very good relationships with all the major leaders in the world. And so I believe that, on an objective basis, I was the best-equipped person to do the job.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 11, 2026
"If I had known that I was feeling lousy because I had cancer, I would have not gone forward because I don't think an 80-year-old man with cancer should be running," he said.
Biden also explained that his decision to seek re-election was based on his belief that he could bring international support to the United States and its positions.
Despite the diagnosis, Biden said he continued to feel mentally capable.
"I'm not saying I'll live forever, but the point is that, you know, I have all my faculties, I have access to all the things I had before and, you know, I feel good," he told the outlet.
