In this handout photo provided by ABC, President Biden speaks with George Stephanopoulos on July 5 in Madison, Wis.
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Madison, Wis. – President Biden, in a much-anticipated interview with ABC News on Friday, tried to fend off calls from his fellow Democrats that his terrible debate performance was “a bad episode” and “a bad night.” of the presidential race.
In a 20-minute interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Biden fully defended his record, said he was the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump in November, and refused to take an independent medical evaluation — neurological and cognitive testing — to show he was fit for another term.
“I have a cognitive test every day,” Biden said. “… I don’t just campaign, I run the world” because America is the center of the world.
During last week’s presidential debate against Trump, Biden said he was “exhausted” and said there were “no signs of seriousness.”
Biden, 81, said before the debate that he was ill. “I feel terrible,” he said. Medical tests, he said, confirmed he had a “very bad cold”.
After the debate, Biden said, his doctor looked at him: “You look tired.”
After last Thursday’s debate, Biden said he did 10 events in a row with “huge crowds, overwhelming response” and “without slipping.”
Asked if he was the same man he was when he took office in January 2021, Biden replied: “Yes. I am the author of the peace plan for the Middle East. … I was also the guy who expanded NATO. He said the economy has grown during his rule.
Asked if he was showing signs of a decline in the past few months, Biden replied: “Can I run 110 flat? No. But I’m still in good shape. He was asked if he was too weak, and he simply replied: “No.”
Biden resisted calls to drop out of the race. Earlier, Biden gave a defiant speech at a rally where he shook dozens of hands and addressed speculation about whether he would drop out of the race. “Here’s my answer: I’m running and I’m going to win again.”
President Biden speaks to supporters Friday during a campaign rally in Madison, Wis.
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Biden says Democratic leaders are telling him to stay in
Biden told reporters Friday afternoon that he had the support of elected Democratic leaders from across the country. Biden said he spoke to at least 20 congressional leaders and all Democratic governors and told them to stay in the race.
The The Washington Post reported On Friday, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., tried to get a group of Democratic senators to ask Biden to drop out of the campaign. Responding to the report, Biden said: “Mark Warner, I understand, is the one who has considered it.”
In an ABC interview, she said: “Mark is a good man. … I have a different perspective.”
But Warner wasn’t the only one vocal. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey urged Biden on Friday to evaluate whether he is the party’s best hope to defeat former President Donald Trump. Biden said: “Healey didn’t say anything when I was in the room.” Biden met with the nation’s Democratic governors this week.
President Biden’s motorcade arrives for a campaign rally at Sherman Middle School in Madison on July 5.
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House Democratic leaders have decided to hold a virtual meeting Sunday with top Democrats on House committees, according to a source familiar with the planning who requested anonymity to discuss the private call.
Biden told ABC he didn’t watch the debate
The unscripted interview placed so much emphasis on Biden that it became a high-profile test of his cognitive abilities that could either quiet calls for Biden to step aside or make them grow louder.
“I think it’s very important to a lot of donors, a lot of elected officials, and you hear from the media,” Rep. Nykema Williams, D-Ga., told NPR.
But it’s unclear how much the interview will resonate with voters. Polls have long shown voters are concerned about Biden’s age, but whether a debate — let alone an interview — will move the needle is still an open question.
“What I’m hearing from constituents on the ground — many of them don’t know this interview is happening on Friday,” Williams said.
Asked by Stephanopoulos if he watched the debate afterward, Biden said: “I don’t think I did, no.”
