VP Joe Biden 'Planned On Running' For President Until Son's Devastating Cancer Diagnosis
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Joe Biden was in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. He took the time to speak exclusively with Eyewitness News about a wide range of topics including the fight against cancer and Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump.
Biden also shed light on why he didn't run for president.
The vice president was in back in town on the heels of the Democratic National Convention. Early on, many thought that Biden might be the one accepting the nomination for the democratic party.
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"I planned on running," Biden said. "When my son essentially received a death sentence, with the type of cancer he has only one percent of people make it, there was just no, as I said earlier no man or woman should run for president unless they can give all their passion, all their time, all their concern, all their interest to that endeavor," Biden explained.
"I was just not in a position to do that and it was the right decision for my family."
The World Affairs Council presented their Atlas Award to Biden for his leadership on the Cancer Moonshot 2020 initiative, an effort to develop new treatments to eradicate all forms of cancer.
Biden expressed that there are a lot of breakthroughs right on the cusp for the quest to eliminate cancer.
Also close at hand, the election. Biden shared his thoughts on the Trump campaign and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. "Donald Trump, some of the things he says indicates that he is clueless on some of the foreign policy issues," Biden said. "It's like one thing after another and it's hard to tell where it's all going."
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Although he did not go for the White House himself, Biden plans to stay active after leaving office, especially in the fight against cancer, the disease which took his son.
Losing his son to brain cancer was devastating for Biden. I showed him a post interview photo of Beau and I from years ago. The vice president stared at my phone showing moments of silence, accompanied by the compassion of fatherly love.
Politics has been his life. Now, it's all about saving lives. "There are literally millions of people, just hoping for one more day."
