There’s “No Indication of Any Serious Condition”
Biden pushed back at skeptics in a first look at the president’s interview with George Stephanopoulos and says he doesn’t think he watched his debate.
Joe Biden just gave what’s the most important media interview of his 54-year political career.
The embattled president sat down with ABC News‘ George Stephanopoulos on Friday to try and reassure voters about his health and reelection fitness.
In a preview clip released from the interview, Biden continued to maintain he just had “a bad night.”
“It was a bad episode,” he said. “No indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted. I didn’t listen to my instincts in terms of preparing and … and a bad night.”
The full interview will air as a primetime special on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
Biden’s words come as CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta says that the president should undergo neurological testing (for Parkinson’s) with specialist trained to make such a diagnosis.
The White House has previously maintained that Biden’s personal doctor has said he’s fit for office, but some doubts those reports.
Biden is facing calls to step down in the wake of his faltering live 90-minute debate performance last Thursday against Donald Trump. The debate raised questions about his mental capacity and provoked a swarm of media reports detailing behind-the-scenes White House staffers’ efforts to limit access to the president while making his job less physically demanding, all while maintaining the commander-in-chief was as “sharp as a tack.”
The scoop going to Stephanopoulos has resulted in conservative criticism that suggested the White House picked an interviewer who has — fairly or unfairly — been considered more friendly to the administration.
Former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley jabbed at Stephanopoulos on Tuesday by reposting from last year where the ABC News anchor dismissed her prediction that Biden would eventually have to step down for health reasons. Stephanopoulos has worked for ABC News for more than 20 years, but previously served as former President Bill Clinton’s senior adviser for policy and strategy during his first term after being part of the Clinton campaign team during the 1992 election.
Since last Thursday’s debate, the Biden administration has been defending the president, maintaining he merely had a “bad night” and insisting that he remains the best equipped Democrat to take on Trump in November.
Calls for Biden to step aside to allow other potential candidates secure the nomination have continued to griw.
On Tuesday, veteran Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett became the firs sitting Democratic member of Congress to call on Biden to quit the race.
Post-debate polling: Early indications suggest that Trump has widened his lead to about six points ahead of Biden nationally
