'Beau Was My Soul' – Joe Biden Wears His Late Son's Rosary on His Wrist as He Launches New Mission to Cure Cancer

Joe Biden says his late son, Beau, was "the most honest, insightful, knowledgeable political adviser I had"

Vice President Joe Biden is still coping with the death of his beloved son Beau, who he says was not only an “exceptional son” but also “the most honest, insightful, knowledgeable political adviser I had.”

That’s why – even though he believes he could have won the presidency – Biden knows he made the right call by not tossing his hat in the 2016 ring.

“My decision, I know, was the right decision,” Biden said in a 40-minute interview with Bloomberg Politics published on Wednesday. “I believed I could win, but that’s not enough.”

Biden, flanked by his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and President Barack Obama, announced from the White House Rose Garden in October that he would not be running for president as he and his family were still grieving Beau’s death in May at 46 from brain cancer.

Now, more than six months after Beau’s passing, Biden, 73, tells Bloomberg he wants to honor his son, whom he called his “soul,” by spending much of his final months in office and beyond fighting to cure the cancer that claimed Beau’s life.

“What I’m doing now, I’m meeting with every center of power within the cancer world,” he explained. “I’m meeting with billionaires who have set up foundations. I’m meeting with everyone from the Mayo Clinic to one of the largest outfits that took care of Beau,” he said, as well as “all the researchers.”

Biden carries a red folder with the word “cancer” on it as he lives out his mission to make cancer research a national priority. He also carries something even dearer: Beau’s rosary, which the vice president wears on his wrist.

“I know it takes time,” Biden said of his grieving process. “You’ve got to get through the first Thanksgiving – the first empty chair, the first Christmas, the first smell of spring.”