chairman Joe Biden He has opened up about how he contemplated suicide after the tragic deaths of his first wife and daughter.
in one Friday Interview with Howard SternPresident reveals how he turned to alcohol after people died in car crash nilia biden and their 13-month-old daughter Naomi in 1972.
incident in delaware happened shortly after Mr Biden was elected to the US Senate for the first time.
“I just thought about it, you don’t have to be crazy to commit suicide… I never drank. It’s not a virtue, I never drank alcohol,” he said.
“I used to sit there and just think to myself that I’ll take out a bottle of Scotch… We always had alcohol in the house. I thought I would just drink it and get drunk.”
He added: “I could never bring myself to do it.”
He added: “I just thought about it, you don’t have to be crazy to commit suicide. If you’ve been to the top of a mountain and you think you’ll never be there again.
“But I had two children. And don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t like ‘I have to commit suicide’ it was more like ‘You’ve reached the top of the mountain… you’ll never be okay again.’
Mr Biden further said that his two eldest children, Beau and Hunter Biden, who were injured but survived the car crash, had helped him during that period.
The president encouraged others to seek therapy if experiencing similar feelings.
While surviving a car crash, Beau Biden also died of brain cancer in 2015, which the president has said he believes was linked to His son’s deployment to Iraq and his exposure to burn craters there.
Elsewhere in the interview, Mr Biden told Mr Stern he was keen to debate his potential Republican opponent, Donald TrumpLater this year – his most definitive comment on the issue yet.
Mr Trump has challenged the president several times, offering to debate him “any time”, although he has questioned Mr Biden’s willingness.
During the Sirius XM interview, Mr. Stern asked the President if he would participate in the debate against Mr. Trump.
“I am somewhere. I don’t know when,” Mr Biden replied. “But I’m happy to debate them.”
Mr Trump immediately responded with a post on Truth Social, challenging him to come to the Manhattan courthouse for a debate, where he faces a criminal trial. At the end of the day’s proceedings – when it became clear that Mr Biden had not come – Mr Trump invited himself to the White House to debate him.
So far, Mr Biden’s re-election campaign has refused to commit to participating in the debate.
In March, the President was vague on the matter, saying it “depends on his behavior”.
The two men debated twice during the 2020 general election – a campaign year that was significantly disrupted by COVID-19 restrictions.
Mr Biden was particularly irritated by his opponent’s actions in that year’s chaotic first debate, at one point shouting at Mr Trump: “Will you shut up, man?”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or struggling to cope, you can speak to Samaritans in confidence on 116 123 (UK & ROI), email jo@samaritans.org , or can go to. Samaria website to get details of your nearest branch.
If you live in the United States, and you or someone you know needs mental health support right now, call or text 988, or go to 988lifeline.org To access online chat from 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to anyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country then you can go www.befrienders.org To find a helpline near you.