Making a surprise appearance at the podium in the White House briefing room on Friday afternoon, President Joe Biden fielded several questions from reporters, including one about whether he's confident that November's election will be free, fair and peaceful.

"I'm confident it'll be free and fair," the president replied. "I don't know whether it'll be peaceful."

What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden said Friday that he believes the 2024 election will be free and fair, but referencing baseless claims of election fraud from former President Donald Trump, he added: "I don’t know whether it’ll be peaceful"

  • "The things that Trump has said and the things that he said last time out when he didn't like the outcome of the election were very dangerous," Biden said. "If you notice, I noticed, that the vice presidential Republican candidate did not say he'd accept the outcome of the election."

  • Speaking in Georgia later Friday, Trump was asked about Biden's comments; he said he had not heard them, but added: "I can only hope it will be free and fair."

  • Biden also praised Vice President Kamala Harris' work in regards to major events of the last week, including the federal response to Hurricane Helene, the crisis in the Middle East and the dockworkers' union strike

Biden invoked his former opponent Donald Trump's baseless comments about widespread fraud in the 2020 election as the reasoning behind his answer, as well as comments from the former president's running mate, JD Vance, to the same.

"The things that Trump has said and the things that he said last time out when he didn't like the outcome of the election were very dangerous," Biden said. "If you notice, I noticed, that the vice presidential Republican candidate did not say he'd accept the outcome of the election."

"So I'm concerned about what they're going to do," the president added.

There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, a statement backed up by officials in both parties, including Trump’s own Attorney General William Barr. Cases alleging fraud in the 2020 election brought by Trump and his allies were rejected from courts nationwide, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Speaking in Georgia later Friday, Trump was asked about Biden's comments. He said he had not heard them, but added: "I can only hope it will be free and fair."

That was far from the only question Biden fielded about November's election. He was also asked about the role Vice President Kamala Harris, his former running mate and now Democratic presidential candidate, is playing in major events of the last week, including the federal response to Hurricane Helene, the crisis in the Middle East and the dockworkers' union strike. Biden said they're in lockstep.

"I'm in constant contact with her," Biden said. "We're all singing from the same song sheet."

"She helped pass all the laws that are being employed now, she was a major player in everything we've done, including passage of legislation which we were told we could never pass," he continued. "Her staff is interlocked with mine in terms of all the things we're doing."

As Biden left the room, he was asked whether he wants to reconsider dropping out of the race.

"I'm back in!" he joked.