Biden said he dropped the 2024 bid because allies thought it would hurt their races

Meanwhile, he reiterated his belief that he has a strong shot against former President Donald Trump — a point he stuck to when he initially defended his bid to stay in the race.

“Look, the polls that we showed it was a straight race, it would have been down to the wire,” he told Costa.

But Biden said that amid the backlash against him, he had begun to worry that his health would dominate election discussions for any Democratic candidate.

“And I thought it would be a real distraction,” the president said.

Biden did not name any specific senators or House representatives who have raised concerns with him. But several reports said a significant number of Democratic heavyweights, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, sought to pull the president from the vote.

Biden’s remarks to Costa, his first televised interview since dropping out, were in stark contrast to his earlier, dogged commitment to stay in the race.

For weeks, Biden staunchly defended his decision to seek re-election following his poor performance in the June 27 debates, which sent Democratic leaders into a panic. (Biden told Costa on Sunday that the debate was a “really, really bad day” because he was sick.)

Only “Lord Almighty” could force him to give up, he had said. Then, in a dramatic U-turn, the president announced in late July that he would step down, saying the decision was “in the best interest of my party and the country.”

Vice President Kamala Harris has now clinched the Democratic presidential nomination, and Biden told Costa he fully intended to campaign for her, despite earlier concerns about his health.

“I have no serious problem,” he said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent after business hours by Business Insider.