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Biden, the oldest US president, has been under scrutiny for his health long before his disastrous debate performance. Photo: Reuters
US President Joe Biden has basically stated, no matter what anyone asks, that he will remain in the presidential election 1000% without a doubt.
But in response to questions from journalists in recent weeks, the embattled Democrat has offered some hints as to why he might step aside, as calls within his own party for him to end his candidacy continue unabated.
Some of the allegations Biden cited are serious enough to make him reconsider running, but others are not.
Divine Intervention
It was a defiant response that suggested Biden had no intention of backing down.
In the ABC News interview that marked the first major test of his fitness to be president, host George Stephanopoulos asked the 81-year-old Biden whether he was confident he could beat Republican opponent Donald Trump.
“I’m sure of two things,” Biden said, “I’m the best person to defeat him, and I know how to get things done.”
Stephanopoulos then pressed: “If you were certain you couldn’t beat Donald Trump, would you resign?”
“It depends,” Biden responded. “I mean, if the almighty God comes along and tells me, maybe I would,” he said.
No politician wants to lose, and Biden seems willing to step aside if there is numerical evidence that this will happen.
At a news conference closing the NATO summit in Washington last week, Biden was asked whether he would step down if aides suggested Vice President Kamala Harris would be a stronger challenge to President Trump than he would be.
Biden’s initial response was “no,” but then he elaborated.
“Unless they come back and say there’s no way to win, nobody’s saying that. None of the polls are saying that,” he said.
Although there is limited polling available, the race is expected to be tightly contested with several months to go until the election, with some polls of likely voters giving Trump a slight edge while others give neither candidate an advantage.
Biden wasn’t directly asked about the hypothetical, but presented the new scenario anyway.
As Speedy Moman, a host for the entertainment network Complex, concluded his interview with Biden in Detroit last week, he asked the president one final question: “By your word, 1,000%, do we see you on the ballot come November?”
“Unless you get hit by a train,” Biden joked.
Moman responded: “For everyone’s safety, let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”
Biden spoke with BET journalist Ed Gordon in an interview set to air Wednesday night. During the conversation, Gordon asked Biden if there were any factors that would make him reconsider running.
He did not repeat other reasons he had given previously, but rather gave new ones.
“If I develop some kind of health problem,” Biden told Gordon, “and a doctor comes to me and says, ‘You have this problem, you have that problem.’
As the oldest US president, Biden’s health has been under scrutiny long before his dismal debate performance.
The president’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, said Biden remains “fit to perform the duties of the presidency” after his most recent medical examination in February. O’Connor said a neurological exam taken more than a month ago showed no signs of stroke, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. He also said no cognitive testing was necessary.
Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday as he sought to consolidate support among disillusioned voters key to his reelection, prompting him to cancel a meeting with members of a Latino civil rights group in the battleground state of Nevada.
First Edition: July 18, 2024 | 08:20 AM IST
