WATCH:

President Joe Biden, striving to save his precarious reelection bid, utilized a highly awaited TV interview to emphatically decline an independent medical assessment to prove his fitness for another term. Instead, he attributed his poor debate showing to a “bad episode,” asserting there were “no indications of any serious condition.”
“Look, I have a cognitive test every single day,” Biden told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, referring to his daily demanding tasks. “Every day, I have that test. Everything I do. You know, not only am I campaigning, but I’m running the world.”
The 81-year-old president completed the 22-minute interview on Friday without any major gaffes that could further harm his struggling campaign. However, it seemed unlikely to fully alleviate concerns about his age and capacity for another term, as well as his ability to defeat Donald Trump in November.
On Saturday, another Democratic lawmaker joined nearly half a dozen others in suggesting Biden should not seek reelection. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., stated that after witnessing Biden’s debate performance and his “lack of a forceful response” afterward, he should step aside “and allow for a new generation of leaders to step forward.”
Craig, who secured a key suburban win in the 2018 midterms, could be indicative of districts crucial for Biden in 2020.
The interview left Biden at odds with a significant faction of his party, with just four months until Election Day and mere weeks until the Democratic National Convention. This protracted conflict could potentially help Biden stay in the race by limiting the party’s ability to replace him, but it might also distract from essential efforts to frame the 2024 election as a referendum on Trump.
During the interview, Biden insisted he was not more frail than earlier in his presidency, mentioning he undergoes “ongoing assessment” by his personal doctors who “don’t hesitate to tell me” if anything is wrong.
“Can I run the 100 in 10 flat? No. But I’m still in good shape,” Biden stated.
Regarding the debate, Biden admitted, “I didn’t listen to my instincts in terms of preparing.”
Biden suggested that Trump’s interruptions had unsettled him: “I realized that, 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.”
At times, Biden rambled during the interview, which ABC said was aired in full and without edits. He started explaining his debate performance, then shifted to The New York Times poll, and subsequently discussed the lies Trump told during the debate. Biden also mistakenly referred to the midterm “red wave” as occurring in 2020, instead of 2022.
When asked how he might turn the race around, Biden emphasized the importance of large and energetic rallies like the one he held Friday in Wisconsin. When reminded that Trump routinely draws larger crowds, Biden criticized his opponent.
“Trump is a pathological liar,” Biden said, accusing Trump of mishandling the federal COVID response and failing to create jobs. “You ever see something that Trump did that benefited someone else and not him?”
The interview, coupled with a weekend campaign in battleground states Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, was part of Biden’s vigorous effort to recover from his rocky debate performance. However, internal party frustrations persist, with one influential Democratic senator considering a push to encourage Biden to exit the race and Democrats quietly discussing their next steps if Biden withdraws—or what it would mean if he stays in.
“It’s President Biden’s decision whether or not he remains in the race. Voters select our nominee and they chose him,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a member of the Biden campaign’s national advisory board, said. “Now, he needs to prove to those voters that he is up to the job and that will require more than just this one interview.”
A Democrat who watched the interview said they found Biden still shaky under controlled conditions and predicted more calls for him to leave the race.
Despite this, in Wisconsin, Biden was focused on demonstrating his capability for another term. When asked if he would halt his campaign, he told reporters he was “completely ruling that out” and said he is “positive” he could serve another four years. At a rally in front of hundreds of supporters, he acknowledged his subpar debate performance but insisted, “I am running, and I’m going to win again.”
While private frustrations among Democratic lawmakers, donors, and strategists have been high since the debate, most in the party have refrained from public criticism, waiting to see if the president can restore confidence through his weekend travel and handling of the interview. Top Biden campaign officials have been texting lawmakers, encouraging them to withhold public comments about the situation and give the president a chance to respond, according to a Democrat granted anonymity to discuss the situation.
In this context, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., reached out to fellow senators this week to discuss whether to ask Biden to exit the race, according to three people familiar with the effort who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. Warner’s efforts are noteworthy given his role as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and his reputation as a supportive lawmaker with bipartisan relationships. Warner’s effort was first reported by The Washington Post.
The strategy remains uncertain. One source with knowledge of Warner’s effort indicated that enough Senate Democrats are concerned about Biden’s capacity to seek reelection to take some action, though there is no consensus on what that plan should be. Some Democratic senators might meet as soon as Monday to discuss how to proceed.
The top Democrats on House committees are planning a virtual meeting on Sunday to address the situation, according to a person familiar with the gathering who requested anonymity.
At least five House Democrats have called for Biden to step down as the nominee. While not going that far, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey issued a carefully worded statement on Friday, suggesting Biden now has a decision to make about “the best way forward.”
“I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump,” Healey said.
In the interview, Biden was asked what might persuade him to leave the race. He laughed and replied, “If the Lord Almighty comes down and tells me that, I might do that.”
Signs of discontent were evident at Biden’s campaign rally on Friday, with one person onstage waving a sign reading “Pass the torch Joe” as the president appeared. His motorcade was also met by a few people urging him to step aside.
However, Rebecca Green, a 52-year-old environmental scientist from Madison, said she found Biden’s energy reassuring. “We were just waiting for him to come out strong and fighting again, the way we know he is.”
Many Democratic lawmakers, hearing from constituents at home during the holiday week, are deeply frustrated and divided on whether Biden should remain in the race. Privately, discussions among House Democrats have intensified this week as some members draft public letters suggesting the president should quit the race.
Biden appears to have drawn his family closer as he attempts to prove he is still the best option for the Democrats.
The frequent presence of Hunter Biden in the West Wing since the debate has become an uncomfortable dynamic for many staffers, according to two Democrats close to the White House who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
For many staffers, seeing Hunter Biden, just weeks after his felony gun charge conviction, taking a larger role in advising his father has been unsettling and a questionable choice.
In an impromptu gathering with more than 20 Democratic governors on Wednesday evening, Biden acknowledged the need for more sleep and fewer evening events to remain rested for the job. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre explained that Biden “works around the clock” but also recognizes the importance of balancing work and self-care.
{CBFrommer – Matzav.com}