Biden says he is the 'most qualified person' to be president

Former US Vice President Joe Biden has indicated that he may make a 2020 bid for the White House, saying he is the “most qualified person” to be president and will soon decide whether to run.

Speaking at an event in Montana, Biden hinted that he might consider challenging President Donald Trump in the 2020 elections since he would probably be better than any other potential candidate in that respect.

“I'll be as straight with you as I can. I think I'm the most qualified person in the country to be president. The issues that we face as a country today are the issues that have been in my wheelhouse, that I’ve worked on my whole life” Biden said.

“No one should run for the job unless they believe that they would be qualified doing the job. I've been doing this my whole adult life, and the issues that are the most consequential relating to the plight of the middle class and our foreign policy are things that I have — even my critics would acknowledge, I may not be right, but I know a great deal about it,” he added.

The former vice president, however, said his decision whether or not to run for president is yet to be made and that his grandchildren and son would have a say in it.

“I have two young grandchildren and my son left who love me and adore me and want me around. I want to be there to take care of them, so we’ve got to figure out whether or not this is something we can all do as a family,” he said. “We’re going to make that decision in the next six weeks to two months, and that’s the basis of the decision.”

Biden stressed that regardless of his decision, he would be "breaking his neck" to ensure a Democratic candidate wins the next US presidential elections, even if he won't be running for the post.

'I may be a gaffe machine'

The 76-year-old politician admitted that he has some potential weaknesses, including being a “gaffe machine,” but said none of those would scare him from running for president.

"I may be a gaffe machine, but my God, what a wonderful thing compared to a guy who can’t tell the truth," he said, taking swipe at Trump. "No one doubts what I say, the problem is I sometimes say all that I mean. The question is what kind of nation are we becoming?"

Biden is a strong critic of Trump and his leadership style. He has accused his administration of misunderstanding and misrepresenting the American values.

The former vice president had earlier promised to issue his decision regarding his potential candidacy in the 2020 presidential elections by January 2019.

Should Biden run, he would likely be a front-runner in a crowded Democratic primary field that could host other high-profile names such as Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, among others.

Sanders said last week that he would "probably" run if he believes he is the best candidate to defeat Trump in the general election.

The Vermont senator has repeatedly attacked Trump over his policies, accusing him of moving the US into a more authoritarian mode and calling him a “fraud” for breaking his campaign pledges.

Avenatti drops bid for president

Meanwhile, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, announced on Tuesday that he would not run for president in 2020, months after saying he was weighing a bid for the White House.

"After consultation with my family and at their request, I have decided not to seek the presidency of the US in 2020," he said in a statement posted to Twitter.

Avenatti (pictured below) noted that he would continue to represent Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, in her lawsuit against Trump and that he will not rest until the president "is removed from office, and our republic and its values are restored."

So far, at least 16 women have accused Trump of unwanted sexual advances.

The attorney warned that Democrats must put up an aggressive candidate and said many of the potential candidates are “not battle-tested and have no real chance at winning”.

“I remain concerned that the Democratic Party will move toward nominating an individual who might make an exceptional president but has no chance of actually beating Donald Trump,” Avenatti said. “We will not prevail in 2020 without a fighter, I remain hopeful the party finds one.”

A new Rasmussen Reports poll revealed on Tuesday that the majority of American voters – 54 percent – thought Trump would most likely win his bid for re-election in 2020.

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