President Biden's much-anticipated interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, his first since his weak debate performance against former President Trump, aired Friday night, with the 81-year-old commander in chief showing no sign of stepping down from his post or away from his reelection run. "Look, I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, 'Joe, get out of the race,' I'll get out of the race," Biden said. But "the Lord Almighty's not coming down." General reaction to the conversation? "No fatal gaffe, but no salvation," concludes the Hill. More from the 22-minute interview, as highlighted by the AP, the Hill, NBC News, CNN, and the New York Times:
- More on running: "I don't think anybody's more qualified to be president or win this race than me."
- On the disastrous debate: "Nobody's fault but mine," Biden said of the "bad episode," which he insisted was "no indication of any serious condition." He noted he'd been "exhausted," suffering from a bad cold and getting back into the swing of things after a recent overseas trip. He also said, "I didn't listen to my instincts in terms of preparing." When asked if he'd watched the debate back, Biden said, "I don't think I did, no."
- On Trump at the debate: "Even when I was answering a question and 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."
- On getting a cognitive test: The president wouldn't commit to undergoing a cognitive or neurological assessment and releasing it to the public, telling Stephanopoulos that "I get a full neurological test every day" just by carrying out his daily duties. When asked if he's had one yet, Biden replied: "No, no one said I had to."
- On his physical condition: Biden denied he was any frailer than he'd been when he arrived at the Oval Office, noting, "Can I run the 100 in 10 flat? No. But I'm still in good shape."
- On one poll showing him with a 36% approval rating: "That's not what our polls show," Biden replied, saying pollsters he's talked to have indicated the race is a "toss-up."
- On Trump possibly beating him in November: "I'll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did the goodest job as I know I can do—that's what this is about."
- Fact check: CNN offers one, including on Biden's numbers on polling.
- Reaction: "Refusal to take a cognitive test is an issue," an anonymous House Democrat texted NBC after the interview aired. "We're doomed," another noted, while a "sad" third said, cryptically: "I'll be breaking my silence soon." Axios has even more responses from Dems, and they're not any more optimistic.
- Reaction II: Other Dems, however, say they're sticking by the president. "Joe Biden is who our country needs," Rep. James Clyburn wrote on X. And from Sen. John Fetterman: "Democrats need to get a spine or grow a set—one or the other. Joe Biden is our guy." From Team Biden's perspective, the president did well, with the president's campaign "[painting] the interview as energetic and eloquent, arguing the president laid out a clear case for a second term," per Axios.
Watch the interview in full
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