JBiden pushed back against questions about whether he had the mental and physical stamina to be reelected as president, arguing in a much-hyped television interview on Friday that “I just had a bad night.”
In a pre-taped sit-down interview that aired Friday night, the 81-year-old president told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that he was sick, exhausted and had not prepared for last week’s meeting with Donald Trump. Get ready for Trump’s presidential debate.
Biden’s performance was so bad that some Democrats, including Democratic members of Congress, called for him to drop out of the race. But so far, he has vowed to stay in the race.
Here are some key points:
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1. Biden blames illness for his debate performance
“I was sick and I felt terrible,” Biden said. He said a doctor tested him for the coronavirus, but it appeared he just had a bad cold.
“This was a bad episode,” Biden said. “There is no indication of anything serious.”
He also blamed his opponent, Trump, who spent much of the debate spreading misinformation. “I let it distract me. I realized I had no control at all.
For a week, Washington insiders have been pointing fingers at who on Biden’s staff may be responsible for the president’s preparation for the debate, and Biden has been quick to defend his staff.
“The whole process of my preparation was no one’s fault, mine. No one’s fault but mine.
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2. He refused to commit to an independent cognitive evaluation
“I undergo comprehensive neurological testing every day,” Biden said, saying his job as president and campaign trial were essentially a cognitive test. “I have had a comprehensive physical examination.”
But when asked if he had undergone specific cognitive testing or been examined by a neurologist, Biden said: “No, no one said I had to… They said I was fine.”
“Everywhere I go, I have doctors following me. I have a constant assessment of what I’m doing. If something goes wrong, they don’t hesitate to tell me,” he said.
Asked if he disputed whether there had been more missteps in recent months, Biden said: “Can I split it 110? No.
Asked if he was getting “frailer” at age 81, Biden said: “No. Come stick to my schedule.
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3. He works extra hard to stay in the game
Biden said he had spoken with leading Democrats Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries and Jim Clyburn, “and they all said I should continue to run. ” He dismissed hypothetical questions about how he would respond to being asked to step down. “They’re not going to do that,” he said. “yes, I’m sure.”
“Look, I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, quit the game,’ I would probably quit the game — the Lord Almighty doesn’t come down.”
He declined to answer repeated questions about what would happen if more Democrats forced him to withdraw: “I’m not going to answer that question. It’s not going to happen,” Biden said. Four members of Congress called on him to abandon the nomination, and several others also expressed concerns.
Asked if he thought winning the 2024 race would be more difficult than winning the 2020 race against Trump, Biden said: “That’s not the case when you’re dealing with a pathological liar… I interview all of the Pollsters I’ve interviewed all told me that this is a difficult question to decide.
Asked if he was being honest with himself about his ability to defeat Trump, Biden said: “Yeah. Yeah, yeah. “
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4. Biden says internal polling inconsistent with low approval rating
When Stephanopoulos told Biden, “I’ve never seen a president re-elected with a 36 percent approval rating,” the president responded: “Our polling says otherwise.”
He also said he believed polling data was not as accurate as it once was.
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5. Interview doesn’t fully address concerns about Biden’s candidacy
There were no major gaffes or missteps like Biden’s disastrous debate performance. The president was incoherent and repeated himself in some of his responses, but did not lose his train of thought or appear confused.
Yet even on what was clearly a much better night for Biden, the 81-year-old president certainly looked and sounded like a man in his 80s, something that Biden’s Democratic allies and his base were skeptical of. Perceptions of vulnerability remain an issue.
