US President Joe Biden recently opened up about the darkest moments of his life, including a time when he considered suicide after the tragic death of his first wife and infant daughter.
During a candid conversation on the Howard Stern podcast, Biden, who usually keeps personal matters close to his chest, delved into the painful events following the 1972 car crash that claimed the lives of his wife Neilia Hunter Biden and their 13-month-old daughter Naomi.
The heart-wrenching incident occurred shortly after Biden’s first senate election victory. In a poignant twist of fate, he was sworn into the Senate at the hospital bedside of his two surviving sons, Beau and Hunter, who were recovering from injuries sustained in the accident.
At an event in 2012, Biden shared the chilling details with families of fallen troops: “I was down in Washington hiring my staff, and I got a phone call, saying that my family had been in an accident. And just like you guys know, by the tone of the phone call you just knew didn’t you? I don’t know how I knew.”
Continuing, he said, “But the call said my wife is dead, my daughter is dead, and I wasn’t sure how my sons were going to make it.”
The loss left Biden grappling with profound grief and despair, leading him at one point to contemplate suicide. Despite never having been a drinker, due to his family’s history with alcohol, the immense pain momentarily tempted him to seek oblivion in alcohol.
“I used to sit there and just think I’m going to take out a bottle of scotch. I’m going to just drink it and get drunk,” Biden confessed to Stern, sharing the depths of his sorrow.
This devastating period led him to a chilling consideration, as he revealed: “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.”
He added, “I thought, ‘Let me just go to the Delaware Memorial [Bridge] and jump.'”
Thankfully, Biden’s story took a turn for the better. He found love again and married Jill Biden in 1977, who brought new joy into his life. Together, they have a daughter, Ashley, and have built a life filled with purpose and resilience.