MADISON, Wis. — President Joe Biden said Friday after his first 2024 presidential debate with Republican front-runner Donald Trump that he doesn’t think his candidacy is as fading as people think.
In his first interview since the June 27 debate, Biden told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos he doesn’t think the polls about his standing in the race tell the whole story and denied that his Democratic allies would explicitly call for him to step down.
“Do you really believe that we’re not falling behind right now?” Stephanopoulos asked Biden.
Biden suggested that polls showing Trump with a large lead after the debate weren’t entirely accurate. “Every pollster I’ve talked to says it’s 50-50,” Biden said.
Similarly, he denied that his allies would see his campaign as a drag on the Democratic Party. “What would you do if your allies, your friends, your Democratic allies, the House and the Senate, told you reliably that they were concerned that you were going to lose the House and the Senate if you stayed in office?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“I’m not going to answer that question,” Biden responded. “That’s not going to happen.”
Presidential Interview with ABC This happened at a critical moment for his reelection campaign. The reason Biden did it is because he A disastrous debate Biden’s clash with President Trump last week has eroded Democratic credibility and raised concerns about whether he is a viable candidate. Several Democrats have already called on Biden to withdraw his candidacy, but most party leaders appear to be reserving formal judgment as Biden works through damage control.
But he has a way of telling shaky Democratic activists and supporters that he can do better, i.e. teeth He sounded better than he did during Friday’s debate.
Biden stumbled throughout the 90-minute debate, but struggled in particular. Early on, he appeared to lose his train of thought when answering a relatively easy question about the national debt, mixed up trillions, billions and millions of dollars, rambled on about health insurance and eligibility for the “COVID” measures he’d taken, and, as his microphone was about to be cut, made a confused remark that “we finally won Medicare.”
It got even worse. The president was asked about abortion, which should have been his defining issue, but somehow he ended up talking about women “killed by immigrants,” and Trump’s Border policy.
Biden’s appearance was also problematic. His voice was raspy, weak and hard to hear. He often had his mouth slightly open and his eyes fixed on something.
The president’s performance emboldened Trump, who gave stronger responses and was able to speak in nearly complete sentences. But as usual, Trump lied constantly about things big and small without being checked by the moderator. And he came to the debate as a deeply flawed, if not terrifying, presidential candidate: a convicted felon who has been impeached twice and is known for his ugly attacks and his authoritarian plans for a second term.
Samuel Corum (via Getty Images)
The Biden campaign is scrambling to deal with the fallout. According to a staff member, the president had a cold coming into the debate, which contributed to his rough speech, and the president himself said he had been traveling so much that he struggled to stay awake during the debate, but he promised to do better next time.
But some major Democratic donors, political activists and elected officials have begun urging Biden to step down in response to his performance. Many others support him, at least for now. But even some of his allies are voicing their support. They’re not ready to defect yet, they’re looking for Biden The next few days are about proving he can get the job done on the campaign trail and win in November.
Friday’s ABC interview was essentially Biden pleading with Democrats to support him.
In the 22-minute interview, Biden rejected the notion that he was weaker or less astute than he was in 2020. “What I’m asking you about is your personal situation,” Stephanopoulos asked. “Do you deny that there have been more gaffes, particularly in recent months?”
“Can I run 110 meters? No, but I’m still in good shape,” said Biden, who blamed his debate performance on fatigue, citing the schedule.
When Stephanopoulos asked Biden if he would be willing to take a cognitive test to reassure the American people, Biden pointed to his timeline and the duties of the presidency as evidence that he is cognitively capable.
“I take cognitive tests every day. I take them every day, in everything that I do. You know, I don’t just campaign, I campaign,” Biden said. “This may sound like a big deal, but we are the central country of the world,” he said, referring to recent calls with the prime ministers of Israel and Britain.
Biden’s demeanor was noticeably sharper during the interview than it was during last Thursday’s debate, but he was quieter and sometimes slow to respond.
Still, Biden maintained that despite doubts, he is the favorite to beat Trump in November.
“Are you confident that you’re the only one who can defeat Trump?” Stephanopoulos asked Biden about Trump.
“I know two things,” Biden replied, “I’m the best person to defeat him, and I know how to get things done.”
“If you are certain you cannot beat Donald Trump, would you resign?” Stephanopoulos continued.
“Well, it depends,” Biden said. “If the almighty God comes down and tells me not to run, maybe I will.”
A Biden-Harris campaign official spoke to HuffPost on Friday ahead of the ABC interview. The president, his campaign and the White House have been “aggressively working” to address the concerns raised. by Discussion: Beyond Friday The official said in a recent interview with Biden 2 radio interviewsannounces new trip Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and is set to hold Next week’s press conference During the NATO summit.
The president also met with Democratic governors at the White House this week. all the people He expressed strong support for Biden. Democratic leaders in the House and Senate also support him.
