Biden addresses debating Trump, protecting abortion rights: 5 takeaways from his Howard Stern interview

President Joe Biden addressed potential debates with former President Donald Trump, changes in the Republican Party and personal perseverance in an unexpected interview on the "Howard Stern Show."  

Biden didn't talk with the controversial radio host about U.S. aid to Israel or the anti-war protests taking place at college campuses, but he said in the interview released Friday he was proud to have approved $61 billion in U.S. assistance to Ukraine included in the $95 billion foreign aid bill he signed last week. 

The president did say that, as the presumptive Democratic nominee, he'd be willing to face off against Trump in debates later this year. But he also addressed his goals for the rest of his administration and his potential second term if he does defeat Trump in the fall.

Here are five takeaways from the interview.

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Biden says he’s 'happy to debate' Trump

Biden told Stern he is willing to debate the presumptive Republican nominee, though he had appeared reluctant to commit to debates ahead of the November election. 

“I don’t know when, but I am happy to debate him,” Biden said. 

Until Friday, Biden and his campaign had not confirmed if he would participate in any debates. For weeks, Trump has expressed his desire to debate Biden and criticized him for not committing earlier, even calling to move up the debate schedule.

The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three dates in September and October. The first presidential debate is set to take place Sept. 16 at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

Biden addresses Supreme Court, abortion rights

The president during the interview also discussed the Supreme Court, and Stern asked Biden about Republicans in Congress blocking former President Barack Obama’s appointment to the Supreme Court in 2016. 

“I got to be careful what I say about the court,” Biden said, adding “It’s a really extremely conservative court and the most conservative court in modern history.” Four of the Supreme Court's justices had not been confirmed when Obama nominated Merrick Garland in 2016, though the court's balance was similar at the time.

Biden said if he is elected to a second term, he believes more states will pass legislation protecting abortion, even after the court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Since the landmark decision was overturned, more than a dozen states have banned abortion. However, activists trying to protect abortion rights have notched several victories with state-level ballot measures, even in ruby-red areas.

“They ain’t seen nothing yet,” Biden said. “We’re going to be able to make Roe v. Wade the law of the land again.” 

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'This is not your father’s Republican Party'

Throughout the interview, Biden criticized Trump as the leader of the Republican Party.

Biden called Trump’s inaction on Jan. 6, 2021, when a violent mob of his supporters rioted in the U.S. capitol, “almost criminal.” He condemned Trump for calling those who took part in the riot “patriots” and saying he would grant them pardons if reelected. 

“This is not your father’s Republican Party,” Biden said. “I have had seven sitting Republican senators – two are gone now – seven sitting Republican senators call me and tell me ‘Joe, I agree with you, but I can’t [say] it. He’ll get me.’” 

Biden said he and Trump have a “fundamentally different value set,” citing Trump's alleged comments disparaging fallen members of the military as “losers” and “suckers” in 2020. Trump has denied reports on the comments. 

“There is an awful lot of military personnel who are not enamored with Trump, and a fair number of them voted for me in 2020,” Biden said.

The Associated Press found in 2020 that about 6 in 10 military veterans said they voted for Trump during that year's election, as did just over half of those with a veteran in the household.

Biden emphasizes support for Ukraine and NATO

Biden also emphasized his support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO and Ukraine in its fight against Russia during the interview. 

He said he spent “hours and hours” securing support from members of Congress to ensure U.S. aid to Ukraine was included in the $95 billion foreign aid package he signed last week.

“Had we not gotten this done, I think we would have seen a beginning of the disintegration of NATO,” Biden said. 

While discussing Ukraine, Biden took the opportunity to differentiate himself from Trump once more over the former president's recent comments about NATO. Trump at a campaign stop earlier this year claimed he once told a foreign leader that he would say Russia could "do whatever the hell they want" if countries in the international alliance weren't paying up to their commitments.

“Trump thinks we should not have NATO,” Biden alleged in the interview.

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Biden credits his family for getting him through dark times

Biden’s family anchored much of his conversation with Stern, as the two discussed Biden’s memory of his parents, his loved ones encouraging him to run for office, and the death of his first wife and two of his children. 

He revealed when his first wife and infant daughter died in a car crash in 1972, he briefly contemplated dying by suicide, but the support of his extended family got him through the dark time.

"There’s a lot of heroes out there that dealt with what I’ve dealt with and more without the family I had,” Biden said. “There are thousands of heroes who get up every day and put one foot in front of the other and they got nobody.” 

He told Stern although he has never been to therapy himself, he encourages Americans to see a therapist if they are struggling with their mental health. 

“The American people are relentless,” Biden said. “They never give up. We’re the most unique country in the world. We really are. We’re not going to lose it. God willing.” 

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, as @rachelbarber_