President Biden made a surprise appearance on radio host Howard Stern’s live interview on Friday. The two sat down at Stern’s New York City studio for an hour-long conversation covering Biden’s personal life and his time in office.
During the interview, Biden shared a shocking moment about his deep sense of grief following the tragic loss of his first wife, Neilia, and 13-month-old daughter, Naomi. He admitted to feeling despair and even considered turning to alcohol to cope, despite never having drunk before. “I used to sit there and just think I’m going to take out a bottle of scotch,” Biden said. “I’m going to just drink it and get drunk.”
“I just thought about it, you don’t need to be crazy to commit suicide. If you’ve been to the top of the mountain, you think it’s never going to be there again.” Biden added. “I thought, “Let me just go to the Delaware Memorial [Bridge] and jump.’”
The surprise interview with President Biden was not on his public schedule and caught many off guard. He had spent the previous night in New York City after attending a fundraiser hosted by actor Michael Douglas in Westchester County.
During the interview, Howard Stern asked Biden about various aspects of his personal and professional life, such as meeting his first wife, his football days, and his experiences dealing with a stutter. Biden also shared stories about his time in law school, admitting to not taking it seriously and even ditching textbooks, which he now considers a regrettable mistake.
The interview, characterized by Stern’s repeated praise for Biden and his family, also touched on Biden’s tenure as a public defender, his willingness to debate former President Trump before the election, and his views on the current makeup of the Supreme Court, which he described as “maybe the most conservative in modern history.”
“Mr. President, look at me, sitting with the president,” Stern said near the close of the interview. “Look at me, sitting with Howard Stern,” Biden responded.