Former Gov. Tom Kean weighs in on Biden reelection, says he should step aside

Former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean Sr., a moderate Republican and popular governor who has denounced Donald Trump, thinks President Joe Biden should withdraw from the presidential election. Many Democrats have called for Biden to step aside, while Democratic governors vowed Wednesday to stand with Biden.

Kean sat down to discuss government transparency and democracy with Ian Shearn for The Jersey Vindicator on Tuesday, July 2. The Zoom interview lasted about 20 minutes. The rest of that interview will be published on July 5 July 8.

After discussing government transparency, Kean expressed concerns about our democracy and said neither presidential candidate energizes young voters.

“Now we’re voting this year on two people…not only your father’s age, your grandfather’s age. And they’re not going to get enthusiastic about that,” Kean said. “I remember, I was very excited while I was a young person casting my first votes…I had my candidate. I thought that candidate was going to be the best president ever. On the other hand, the person who was running on the other side for the Democrats, I thought they were pretty good, and if I’d lost that year, fine, because they had a good candidate too.”

Kean noted that people no longer believe in being open to supporting someone from the other party in an era of polarization. “That’s gone,” Kean said. “Some of the things that are going on make me worry about democracy and its future.”

Asked about his assessment of Biden’s situation, he said he thinks it’s sad.

“Joe Biden has been a good public servant. I tend to believe he’s been a good president, but what we saw the other night with somebody whose faculties are diminished. And if you’ve watched Joe Biden over the last months and years, it’s getting worse,” Kean said. “So I think in the interest of the country, he probably should give the job to somebody else.”