Joe Biden unsure if he has the 'emotional fuel' to run for president

Vice President Joe Biden.
(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

During a conference call with Democratic National Committee members on Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden said he doesn't know if he has the "emotional fuel" to run for president, following the death of his son.

The call was set up to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, but talk soon turned to the presidential race. A person on the call confirmed to CBS News that Biden said: "If I were to announce to run, I have to be able to commit to all of you that I would be able to give it my whole heart and my whole soul, and right now, both are pretty well banged up." Biden's 46-year-old son, Beau, died in May from cancer, and a supporter told CBS News that Biden would need the approval of his family before running.

When asked about Biden possibly joining the race, frontrunner Hillary Clinton said Wednesday there's "no evidence" Biden joining the race would affect her poll numbers. Clinton said she has a "great deal of admiration and respect" for the vice president, and "he has to make a very difficult decision for himself and his family, and he should have the space and opportunity to decide what he wants to do."

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Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.