President Biden, 81, sat for an interview with ABC News Friday night after his disastrous debate performance against former President Trump.
President Biden repeatedly refused to reconsider his bid for re-election, time and again dismissing the concerns of those trying to pressure him to quit the 2024 White House race due to lagging poll numbers and concerns about his mental acuity during a high-stakes interview Friday.
Biden’s 22-minute sit-down with ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos was taped earlier in the day but aired unedited. It was the 81-year-old president’s first televised sit-down since his debate against former President Trump last week.
At one point, Stephanopoulos informed Biden he was behind in the popular vote, and the president replied, « I don’t buy that. »
« I don’t think anybody is more qualified to be president or win this race than me », Biden said when pressed about a race his opponent appears favored to win.
When asked if he had the mental acuity to be president another four years, Biden said, « I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think I did. »
Biden also brushed off concerns about his mental fitness for office. When asked if he was being « honest » with himself about his own cognitive abilities, the president replied, « Yes, I am, because, George, last thing I want to do is not be able to meet that. »
But he was also evasive when asked about the possibility of taking a cognitive test and making those results public, something Biden’s Republican critics have long demanded.
