Joe Biden tells BET he would relinquish power to Kamala Harris if he wins a second term and is unable to serve for health reasons

Facing ongoing questions about his capacity to serve, President Joe Biden stated he would be willing to hand over power to Vice President Kamala Harris if he wins a second term but is unable to complete it due to health reasons, though he downplayed the likelihood of such an event.

“Only if I was told that there was some medical condition that I had, and that’s not the case,” Biden said in a BET interview broadcast Wednesday, in response to whether he would consider being a transitional figure and then transferring the presidency to Harris within two years.

Biden, 81, acknowledged that concerns about his age are “a legitimate thing to raise.” However, he defended his capability to lead the nation and expressed confidence in his ability to serve another four years in the White House.

The president would be 86 years old at the end of a second term.

“I’m only three years older than Trump, OK. And I think I’m in a little better physical shape than he is,” Biden said. “As long as I can demonstrate that it’s not affecting my ability to compete, my ability to get things done, my ability to literally lead the world.”

When pressed on whether he would reconsider his service on a year-to-year basis, Biden said, “As a practical matter, yes. But there’s no reason to believe that’s likely to happen.”

Biden has embarked on a vigorous campaign to reassure the public of his mental acuity following his poor performance in a June 27 debate with Trump. Despite numerous interviews, campaign events, and strategy memos, doubts among fellow Democrats about his ability to defeat Donald Trump persist.

Earlier in the interview, Biden also mentioned he would reconsider his decision to run for reelection if a medical condition were to arise.