President Joe Biden admitted his debate was a “bad episode” Friday night in his first television interview in the primaries since his disastrous performance in last week’s presidential debate and rejected the idea of taking a full cognitive test, as the 81-year-old president is trying to do. So reassure Democrats that he is mentally and physically compatible for a second term in the White House.

When asked if the debate was an episode or a result of his current state (an inquiry made in the past through former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi), Biden responded that he had just experienced a “bad episode. ” “.

Biden and his crusader said his extensive education before the debate had exhausted him, however, when ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked why last week at Camp David before the debate wasn’t enough time to rest, Biden said he was sick and was being tested. to see if he had an infection or virus, and duplicate a previous claim that he had a “bad cold. “

When Stephanopoulos asked Biden if he had watched the CNN debate with former President Donald Trump after it aired, he responded, “I don’t think I did, no. “

When asked through Stephanopoulos whether he would undergo independent neurological and cognitive testing, Biden responded, “No one said I had to,” and then said, “every day I do this test. “

Biden, who spoke softly and hoarsely during the interview, also claimed he was “not in control” of the event, complaining that he was distracted at times when Trump gave the impression of shouting, a new excuse presented for its functionality. — even though Biden said CNN turned off Trump’s microphone.

Asked if he even knew he was “the same guy today” as he was when he took office in 2021, Biden said “in terms of success, yes,” reiterating his argument that he deserves to be evaluated based on his record in the White House. than its functionality in the debate, even though it curiously claimed to have “silenced Putin”, even as the Russian war in Ukraine drags on.

Biden boasted of creating more than 200,000 new jobs in the month of June, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, arguing that he is still capable of generating for the economy; this BLS report also found that task expansion had decreased from 218,000 in May. while the unemployment rate exceeded 4% for the first time in just three years.

When asked if he thought he could “serve well for the next 4 years,” Biden replied that he “wouldn’t run if I didn’t believe he does,” and doubled down on that answer when asked by Stephanopoulos if Biden “was sure” “You’re being fair to yourself when you say you have the intellectual and physical ability to serve another 4 years. “

Biden has continually called Trump a “pathological liar,” saying he believes he could defeat him in November despite his dismal approval ratings and polls that found the electorate supported Trump over Biden.

The interview has raised some considerations on the part of Democrats: former Obama adviser David Axelrod, one of the first Democrats to express considerations last year about Biden’s complex age, stated in an article in of contact with people’s considerations. ability to advance and her position in this career.

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Asked if he knew how far the debate was going at the time, Biden said, “I prepared what I would do regularly, just sit down like I did when I came back from foreign leaders or the National Security Council to get specific details. and I learned that component, you know, I’m quoted, the New York Times narrowed me down to 10 issues before the debate, nine [issues]

At least four sitting Democrats in Congress have said Biden deserves to drop out of the race (Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, and Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona), as well as many billionaire supporters have also suggested that Biden step down: the Walmart heiress, Christy Walton, valued at $15. 2 billion, according to Forbes, and crypto mogul Michael Novogratz ($2. 5 billion) called on Biden to “approve the torch” in a joint letter with more than 150 other people on Friday, business leaders. Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings ($4. 8 billion) also called on Biden to “step down,” while Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban ($5. 4 billion) pushed for a vote in which other Democrats could defeat Trump in November.

Despite those calls for his resignation, Biden vowed to stay in the race, admitting he “got it wrong” on the debate stage. Biden also attempted to appease the electorate by claiming that his office was the result of a long bloodless affair and a single “bad” function (a post-debate Harvard CAPS/Harris ballot found that 66% of the electorate doubts Biden’s intellectual health). whether he was “too old to beat Donald Trump” or to “restore Roe v. Wade,” a key promise of his re-election platform.

Biden downplayed the importance of the vote and the interview. But since the debate, Biden has fallen down the ballot, falling behind Trump 42. 2% to 39. 7% in a head-to-head matchup, according to FiveThirtyEight’s ballot-weighted average, short of a narrow lead. of Trump. 41. 1% to 40. 9% for Trump on the day of the debate. debate. Including other challengers, such as independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , Biden and Trump remain tied, 40% to 40%, according to a post-debate Ipsos ballotArray. replacements. The only Democratic candidate who scored higher than Biden was former first lady Michelle Obama, who trailed Trump by 50 to 39 percent in the Ipsos poll, although the former first lady was an unlikely candidate.

The interview comes at a critical time for Biden’s campaign, as a developing list of Democratic lawmakers, pundits and primary donors urge him to withdraw from his re-election bid within a week of his rocky performance in the first presidential debate. on CNN last week. a 90-minute back-and-forth marked by Biden’s whispered voice, his gaffes, and his disjointed responses. While some primary Democrats, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, have publicly sided with Biden, others have advised that he run is able to endure another 4 years in the White House, the Democratic governor of Illinois, J. B. Pritzker, urging Biden to “communicate more” and Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif. , arguing that Biden will sit down for a live interview “as soon as possible” (the ABC interview was taped Friday by late).

In the week after the debate, Biden made multiple verbal errors in interviews and crusade stops. At a rally on Friday, Biden incorrectly said he would beat Trump in 2020, before correcting himself by saying he would beat Trump in 2024. In an interview last week with Philadelphia radio station WURD, Biden also said he was proud of be the first”. “A black woman will have to serve with a black president,” appearing to distort his words before saying that he has appointed Kentaji Brown Jackson, the first black woman to sit on the Supreme Court.

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