Madison, Wisconsin
Joe Biden dodged questions about his mental state and electability on Friday in a television interview meant to bring to a close a disastrous debate performance that prompted calls for him to give up on reelection.
Amid a backlash among nervous Democratic voters, lawmakers and donors, the one-on-one interview with ABC network was heavily promoted as the most important of the 81-year-old president’s long career.
But the 22-minute debate appeared to offer little reassurance, as Biden blamed illness for his poor performance and repeatedly denied concerns within his party that polls and the debate had done serious damage to his prospects.
“I’ve been feeling sick. I’ve had a really bad cold,” the president said, in his first extended, unscripted remarks since last week’s showdown with Republican rival Donald Trump.
The interview was meant to help Biden navigate the crisis, but his hoarse voice and incoherent answers drew swift condemnation from Democrats who called him “out of touch with reality.”
Asked whether continuing the campaign would jeopardize Democrats’ hold on to the White House, Biden said, “I don’t think there’s anybody more qualified to be president or more qualified to win this election than me.”
Trump dodged calls to have a doctor assess his mental acuity, saying, “The job of the president is to take cognitive tests every day. Every day, everything you do, you take them.”
The Trump campaign derisively posted on social media after the broadcast that “Biden looks great,” before concluding that the president was “in denial of reality and in decline.”
The interview came after Biden’s hesitant and often incoherent debate with Trump in Atlanta sparked panic within the party and calls for him to withdraw from the race.
“Defeat Trump”
The Biden campaign has strongly pushed back against any suggestions he might back out, announcing an aggressive campaign travel schedule for the remainder of July just hours before the ABC interview.
Appearing at a campaign rally in Madison, Wisconsin, the president gave a powerful speech in which he declared, “I’m going to keep campaigning. I’m going to defeat Donald Trump.”
Post-debate polls have shown a widening gap in support for Trump, and at least four Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to step down, as have major newspapers, donors and many Democratic-leaning political commentators.
According to U.S. media, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are due to hold crisis talks with lawmakers within the next few days.
In an interview on Friday, ABC host George Stephanopoulos reiterated growing calls within the Democratic Party for discussions about choosing a new nominee and asked Biden whether he would step down if he believed he could not beat Trump.
“Well, it depends. If the Almighty God comes down and tells me, then maybe I will,” he said.
Biden later added that he had not watched the debate, saying, “I don’t think I did.”
And he rejected the idea that his poor performance was a symptom of a more serious health problem.
“I had a bad attack, but no signs of anything serious. I was exhausted. I didn’t follow my instincts in terms of preparation, and it was a bad night,” Biden said.
David Axelrod, a White House aide to former President Barack Obama who has been an occasional thorn in the Biden administration’s side, said the interview showed the president was “dangerously indifferent” to concerns about his fitness to serve.
“This time four years ago he was leading Trump by 10 points (in the polls). Today he’s six points behind,” Axelrod posted on X.
The White House announced that Biden will visit Pennsylvania this weekend before holding a news conference during the NATO summit in Washington next week.
