President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the presidential race in July was motivated in no small part by the high-profile struggles that plagued his son Hunter Biden in the final years of his first term. It left him with a “crushing” feeling of guilt. People close to the outgoing president say it bothered him more than wars in Ukraine or the Middle East.
Renowned Watergate correspondent Bob Woodward gives readers an inside look at President Trump and President Biden's most vulnerable moments in his new book, “The War.” The show offers a rare split-screen look at the mindsets of two very different leaders as they look at the biggest foreign policy challenges and security risks in modern memory.
Fox News obtained an early copy of the book ahead of its release next week.
Woodward's book also chronicles more intimate moments from the two presidents' years. For Biden, this includes the aftermath of his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate in June, which was watched by an estimated 51 million people, and the intense pressure unleashed on him within the Democratic Party.
It crystallized longstanding concerns among party leaders and donors that the 81-year-old Biden is no longer fit to carry himself in a second showdown with Donald Trump. Their panic was matched only by their sense of urgency and the clock ticking down to choose the right candidate.
Biden won't spare Hunter, White House reaffirms, but critics aren't so sure
President Joe Biden and former US President Donald Trump at the first presidential debate. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
As Woodward reports, Biden had a very hard time accepting that consensus — first by trying to dismiss his disastrous performance as a bad night and something he could recover from in the coming months. did. The tidal wave of pressure on him to drop out of school only intensified.
In fact, Woodward said Biden was leaning toward staying in the race during a private lunch with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on July 4. Mr. Blinken, who appeared at the lunch prepared for a difficult conversation, told Mr. Woodward that he still believed Mr. Biden could win a second term as president. Biden says he has pursued the title his entire life and finally earned it.
He said one of the factors that ultimately led to his decision to resign was the scrutiny and legal troubles surrounding his son, Hunter.
The toll of his son's problems became clear when the two met, Woodward reported. In his speech, Blinken spoke candidly to Biden about dropping out. “I don't want to see your legacy at risk,” he said.
'60 Minutes' slams Trump for skipping interview, defends handling of Hunter Biden's laptop interview
President Biden hugs his son Hunter Biden during the Democratic National Convention on Monday, August 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Sancia)
Sensing little progress, Blinken tried a different approach. “Are you sure you're going to keep doing this for the next four years?” he asked.
Biden's first term included overseeing the U.S. recovery from a global pandemic, the first war on European territory since World War II, and the start of Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon. . Every day was subject to disruption and lasting consequences. Still, those close to Biden say it was his younger son, Hunter Biden, whose struggles seemed to weigh most heavily on the president.
Hunter's troubles are described in the book as Biden's “real war.” It was a constant source of concern for a president who was constantly battling his fatherly instincts to protect and reconcile his son, what Biden called his “beautiful son.” It was the deep guilt he felt upon learning that his presidency was the factor behind the intense surveillance of his son.
Political storm: Biden calls on former president to 'get a life' after Trump's 'false attack'
Hunter Biden leaves federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, accompanied by his mother, First Lady Jill Biden, and wife, Melissa Cohen Biden. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
For Biden, this knowledge made him “heartbroken” and affected him more than major crises occurring overseas, including in Europe and the Middle East, sources told Woodward. These things have made the president “unstable” and distracted, and have taken “a lot out of him” in recent years.
As he explained the president's inner turmoil to Woodward, Blinken himself wept as he recalled his relationship with his two young children.
Mr. Biden “desperately” wanted to pull Mr. Hunter “out of the abyss,” involve him, and protect him, but his attempts and best efforts failed, Mr. Blinken explained.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The book does not detail the extent to which Mr. Hunter's legal issues and investigation directly played a role in the president's decision to resign, but it is likely that a myriad of factors, pressure from within his own party and deeply personal considerations contributed to the president's decision to resign. It is thought that this was a result of the above. The White House did not respond to Fox News' request for comment on this story.
The book is an unflinching account of one of the president's most emotionally difficult struggles, one that would ultimately worsen if he remained on the campaign trail.
“War” will be in bookstores on October 15th.
Get the latest on the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more with Fox News Digital's Election Hub.
