Vice President Joe Biden gave a speech on national security in Atlanta on Thursday night, and in the process made his most extended public statement on whether or not he will seek the Democratic nomination in 2016. The short version: He doesn't know. He's not thinking about his potential rivals or fundraising or the challenge in setting up a national campaign apparatus, Biden said, sometimes getting emotional. "The most relevant factor in my decision is whether my family and I have the emotional energy to run," he explained. "The factor is, can I do it? The honest to God answer is I just don't know."
After losing a son and a brother, Beau Biden, earlier this year, "can my family undertake what is an arduous commitment?" Biden asked. "Unless I can go to my party and the American people and say I am able to devote my whole heart and soul to this endeavor, it would not be appropriate." You can watch his comments below. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The week's best photosIn Pictures A silent protest, a record-breaking celebration, and more
-
Presence: microbudget ghost story 'packs quite a punch'The Week Recommends Steven Soderbergh's unusual take on a haunted house thriller splits critics
-
A new continent is slipping through the cracksUnder the Radar Landmasses are not as stable as they seem
-
White House withdraws Trump's spending freezeSpeed Read President Donald Trump's budget office has rescinded a directive that froze trillions of dollars in federal aid and sowed bipartisan chaos
-
OpenAI announces ChatGPT Gov for government useSpeed Read The artificial intelligence research company has launched a new version of its chatbot tailored for the US government
-
Caroline Kennedy urges Senate to reject RFK Jr.Speed Read Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s cousin said he should not become President Donald Trump's health secretary, calling his medical views 'dangerous'
-
GOP senator reneged on voting against HegsethSpeed Read North Carolina senator Thom Tillis provided the deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as defense secretary
-
Trump sparks chaos with spending, aid freezesSpeed Read A sudden freeze on federal grants and loans by President Donald Trump's administration has created widespread confusion
-
Trump feuds with Colombia on deportee flightsSpeed Read Colombia has backed off from a trade war with the U.S., reaching an agreement on accepting deported migrants following tariff threats from President Donald Trump
-
Trump proposal to 'clean out' Gaza gets cool receptionSpeed Read U.S. allies Jordan and Egypt rejected President Donald Trump's suggestion that Palestinians leave Gaza
-
Trump orders release of JFK, RFK, MLK Jr. filesSpeed Read The president signed an executive order to release classified documents related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
