President Joe Biden on Friday expressed concern the 2024 election will not be “peaceful” depending on the outcome, citing recent comments from Donald Trump and JD Vance.
“I’m confident it will be free and fair,” Biden told reporters as made a surprise appearance at the White House press briefing. “I don’t know whether it will be peaceful.”
“The things that Trump has said and the things that he said last time out when he didn’t like the outcome were very dangerous,” he continued. “I noticed that the vice presidential Republican candidate did not say he would accept the outcome of the election. They haven’t even accepted the outcome of the last election.”
“So, I am concerned about what they’re going to do,” Biden said.
President Joe Biden speaks to the media in the White House press room, Oct. 4, 2024, in Washington.
Susan Walsh/AP
On the debate stage earlier this week, Vance was pressed on his past comments that if he were vice president he would not have certified the 2020 election and instead would have asked states to send alternate slates of electors.
The CBS moderators asked Vance if he would similarly challenge the 2024 election even if every governor signed off on the results. He declined to rule it out.
“Look, what President Trump has said is that there were problems in 2020, and my own belief is that we should fight about those issues, debate those issues peacefully in the public square,” Vance said.
That led to a clash with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, who questioned him point blank if Trump lost the 2020 election.
“Tim, I’m focused on the future,” Vance said. Walz characterized that response as a “damning non-answer.”
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz participate in the Vice Presidential debate in New York City, October 1, 2024.
Matt Rourke/AP
This week, new evidence was revealed in special counsel Jack Smith’s federal election subversion case against Trump. Prosecutors shared details of what they called Trump and his allies’ “increasingly desperate” efforts to overturn his 2020 loss. Trump called the filing “election interference” and continues to deny any wrongdoing after pleading not guilty to the charges.
Trump also continues to spread false claims about the 2020 election on the campaign trail, adamantly rallygoers in Michigan on Thursday he was the winner.
“We won, we won, we did win,” Trump said. “It was a rigged election.”
Though Biden expressed concern about 2024 election, he also left the briefing room with some lighthearted humor after being asked if was reconsidering dropping out of the race.
“I’m back in,” the president joked, leading the room to laugh out loud.