"Look, I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else," Biden said. "There's an entire generation of leaders you saw stand behind me. They are the future of this country."

The nod to three people expected to be considered for the vice presidential nomination was the most direct the 77-year-old former vice president has been about how he views his role within the party.

He has long pledged to return the nation to pre-President Donald Trump normalcy. But he and his aides have declined to address whether, if elected, he would run for a second term in 2024. He has said only that he would not run again if he were in poor health.

In town halls and other events, Biden has repeatedly been asked by voters who he would choose as his running mate. He's often said he would seek someone who is "simpatico" on policy issues.

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