President Joe Biden said in a new interview that he’s “not at all sure” of a peaceful transition in January if former President Donald Trump loses the election this fall.
“If Trump loses, I’m not at all sure,” Biden said when asked in a CBS News interview if he was confident there would be a peaceful transition in January 2025.
Biden also said in a video shown Wednesday night that people did not take Trump’s previous comments about the “carnage” seriously.
“He means it, all the stuff about if we lose, there’s going to be a massacre,” Biden said. “You can’t love your country only when you win.”
A spokesperson for Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night.
Trump said in March, “It’s going to be a massacre for the country” if he loses the election in November. He made the remark while talking about economic policy.
Three months later, in a June 27 presidential debate, Trump was asked if he would accept the 2024 election results. After repeatedly dodging the question, he replied: “If the election is fair, legal and good, absolutely.”
In the CBS interview, Biden also hinted at efforts that could complicate post-election certification processes.
“Look at what they’re trying to do now in the local constituencies where people count the votes,” he said.
Georgia’s Republican-controlled state Board of Elections voted this week to add local officials to verify election results. Over the weekend, Trump praised officials who later approved the rule change.
Biden’s full interview is scheduled to be released Sunday morning.
Biden narrowly defeated Trump in Georgia in the 2020 presidential election. His victory by just 11,779 votes made him the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since Bill Clinton in 1992.
Trump remains concerned about how he would react to losing the 2024 race, as his effort nearly four years ago undoes his 2020 loss. Trump has called Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the Capitol, a “beautiful day” and has called supporters jailed for crimes related to the attack “incredible patriots” and “hostages.”
Last week, he repeated his promise to pardon convictions related to the attack if elected in November.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
