During his recent appearance on ABC News, President Joe Biden addressed concerns about his debate performance and the future of his candidacy. Despite criticism following the debate, Biden asserted his commitment to remaining on the ticket. In the interview with George Stephanopoulos, Biden provided varying explanations for his subpar performance, marking his first televised discussion since the debate. This interview holds significant implications for Biden’s political trajectory as an increasing number of Democrats, including lawmakers, donors, and voters, are expressing doubts about the feasibility of his candidacy.
Here are six takeaways from Biden’s interview with ABC News.
Biden says the debate was a ‘bad night,’ not a bigger problem
In an interview, the president said he felt “sick” and “terrible” before the debate, but he attributed it to a bad episode rather than a serious condition. He mentioned feeling fatigued due to illness and being tested for Covid-19. The White House did not immediately respond to inquiries about the timing of the Covid-19 test about the debate. Initially, White House officials stated that the president had a cold but later confirmed that he had seen a doctor for his illness. On Friday, it was clarified that the president had a “verbal check-in” with his doctor after the debate, described as a conversation with his physician, Kevin O’Connor.
The president takes ownership of poor performance but offers a new excuse
The president said he had not watched a replay of his performance. When he was asked whether he knew how badly it was going, he said it was “nobody’s fault but mine.”
Biden offered a confusing tangent on New York Times polling as he answered the question.
“I prepared what I usually would do sitting down as I did come back as foreign leaders or National Security Council – for explicit detail. And I realized, about partway through that – you know, all that I get quoted is The New York Times had me down 10 points before the debate, nine now, or whatever the hell it is. The fact of the matter is that – what I looked at is he also lied 28 times,” he said.
Pressed on his performance, he said, “Well I was just having a bad night.”
But later in the interview, Biden offered a different explanation. He said he was distracted by Trump talking out of turn even though Trump’s microphone was muted.
“It came to me I was having a bad night when I realized that even when I was answering a question, even when they turned his mic off, he was still shouting. And I let it distract me. I’m not blaming it on that, but I realized that I just wasn’t in control,” Biden told Stephanopoulos.
Biden and Trump and their teams agreed to the rules ahead of the debate.
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Dr. Sanjay Gupta reacts to Biden’s comment on getting an independent medical evaluation
Biden won’t take a cognitive test and release it to voters
Biden stated that he has not been required to have cognitive and neurological exams. He mentioned that he undergoes a full neurological test every day due to the demands of his job. He explained that he has medical doctors traveling with him wherever he goes and receives ongoing assessments of his health. When asked if he has had cognitive tests and an exam by a neurologist, Biden responded that he has not and that nobody has required him to do so. However, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, recommended that Biden undergo comprehensive cognitive and neurological testing and share the results. This recommendation came after expressions of concern about Biden’s performance during a debate and the emphasis that detailed testing can help determine the underlying causes of any symptoms.
“I have medical doctors traveling everywhere. Every president does, as you know. Medical doctors from the best of the world travel with me everywhere I go. I have an ongoing assessment of what I’m doing. They don’t hesitate to tell me if they think there’s something else wrong,” he said.
When asked whether he’s had cognitive tests and an exam by a neurologist, Biden said no.
“No one said I had to. … They said I’m good.”
In an analysis published Friday, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta – a practicing neurosurgeon – urged Biden to undergo thorough cognitive and neurological testing and to share his results.
Gupta wrote that it was concerning to watch Biden’s performance at the debate. Detailed testing “can help determine whether there is a simpler explanation for the symptoms displayed or if there is something more concerning,” he said.
Biden denies polls show him losing to Trump
During an interview with Stephanopoulos, Biden confidently asserted that he was indeed being truthful about his chances of beating Trump. He referred to past polls and down-ballot elections as evidence, dismissing current polling showing him trailing. When asked about his low approval rating and the potential difficulty of winning four years later, Biden expressed that it wouldn’t be tougher, especially when running against a “pathological liar” who hasn’t been challenged in the way he’s about to be. Additionally, although the president initially claimed that his pollsters characterized the race as a “toss-up” and referenced specific polls, he didn’t finish his thought.
He pointed to previous polls that showed he couldn’t win in 2020 as proof and subsequent down-ballot elections, denying extensive polling that reflects a race where he is trailing.
Pressed on his low approval rating and whether it would be tougher to win four years later, Biden said, “Not when you’re running against a pathological liar. Not when he hasn’t been challenged in the way he’s about to be challenged.”
The president said that all of his pollsters characterized the race as a “toss-up” as he began to point to specific polls before trailing off.
Biden brushes off nervous Dems: Only the ‘Lord Almighty’ could get him to leave the race
In a recent interview, Joe Biden was asked about dropping out of the race if he thought he couldn’t defeat Trump. He responded by saying that he would only do so “if the Lord Almighty comes down” and told him to. He declined to address concerns from Democratic allies about potential losses in the House and the Senate if he stayed in the race. Some Democratic leaders have urged Biden to reconsider his reelection bid, with Senator Warner reportedly seeking support for suspending Biden’s campaign. However, when asked if he would reconsider his stance if high-ranking Democrats pushed him to drop out, Biden responded that they would not do so.
“If the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I’d get out of the race,” Biden said.
“The Lord Almighty’s not coming down,” added Biden, who is a devout Catholic.
Stephanopoulos responded: “I agree that the Lord Almighty is not going to come down. But if you are told reliably from your allies, and your friends and supporters in the Democratic Party, in the House, in the Senate that they’re concerned you’re going to lose the House and the Senate if you stay in, what will you do?”
Biden declined to answer the question. “It’s not going to happen,” he added.
The president later questioned whether any other Democratic leader would have his foreign policy acumen.
“Who’s going to be able to hold NATO together like me? Who’s going to be able to be in a position where I’m able to keep the Pacific basin in a position where we’re at least checked being in China now? Who’s going to – who’s going to do that? Who has that reach?” Biden asked.
Four Democratic members of Congress have called on Biden to step aside. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey issued a statement Friday asking Biden to “carefully evaluate” whether he is the party’s best choice to defeat Donald Trump. And Virginia Sen. Mark Warner is looking to get Senate Democrats on the same page about the future of Biden’s reelection bid, sources told CNN, putting further pressure on the White House.
Warner, who is taking on a leadership role in the effort, is reaching a place where he thinks it is time for Biden to suspend his reelection campaign, a source familiar with his efforts told CNN.
Asked about Warner’s efforts, Biden responded: “Mark is a good man. … He also tried to get the nomination.” Warner had been considered a vice presidential contender in 2008, the slot that Biden would eventually win, but withdrew himself from consideration.
“Mark’s not – Mark and I have a different perspective,” Biden told Stephanopoulos.
Asked whether he would reconsider his stance if more high-ranking Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pushed him to drop out, Biden responded: “They’re not going to do that.”
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‘Biden speaks out about campaign after rally in Wisconsin
Biden gets fired up and shows off his energy at Wisconsin rally
Biden’s speech during that rally was animated and energetic – though he seemed to realize that each of his words would be parsed and carefully scrutinized in this politically crucial period. He vowed to “beat Trump again in 2020” before quickly realizing his mistake and correcting himself: “By the way, we’re gonna do it again in 2024.” Slamming Trump’s economic policy, Biden said his opponent “wants another 5 billion – trillion, trillion, not billion – $5 trillion tax cut.”
He directly addressed criticisms about his age: “I wasn’t too old to create over 50 million new jobs, to make sure 21 million Americans are insured under the Affordable Care Act, to beat Big Pharma. … Was I too old to relieve student debt for nearly 5 million Americans? Too old to put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court of the United States of America? To sign the Respect for Marriage Act?”
Biden said unnamed forces are “trying to push him out of the race.”
“Well, let me say this as quick as I can,” he added. “I’m staying in the race.”
That point was punctuated by the song that played as Biden’s speech concluded: Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.”
