Biden says 2020 White House bid still on the table

Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday said it's possible he could run for president in 2020.

Biden made the remarks on NBC's Today that he hasn't ruled out a run, which would presumably challenge President Donald Trump.

"I'm not closing the door. I've been around too long. I'm a great respecter of fate," Biden said. "But who knows what the situation is going to be a year and a half from now? I don't have any idea."

Biden considered running in 2016 for the Democratic nomination that ultimately went to Hillary Clinton. He decided against a campaign, in part, due to the death of his son Beau to brain cancer.

Since November, Biden has leaned in both directions concerning a potential future bid. In April, he said he would not run in 2020. A few weeks later, he fueled speculation by starting a Democratic political action committee.

Biden made the comments Monday while promoting his new book, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship and Purpose -- which chronicles Beau's death in 2015. It also expands on his decision not to seek the 2016 Democratic nomination.

The former vice president and Delaware senator said Monday he will concentrate on the book and on helping Democrats win midterm elections next year. He also addressed statements in a book by former Democratic National Committee chief Donna Brazile, which say she considered replacing Clinton with Biden last year.

"I give you my word, the first time I or any of my staff heard about of anything about that was in the book,'' the eight-year vice president to Barack Obama said. "No. 2, I wouldn't have taken [the nomination]. I was for Hillary. At that point, I made a judgment well before that, that I was not prepared to run for president. I would never have done that."

Biden said he doesn't know whether he would have been able to beat Trump in last year's election.

"The polling data at the time said yes, but I wasn't in the race," he said.