Biden Says ‘Only Lord Almighty’ Could Make Him Drop From Presidential Race
U.S. President Joe Biden, with his five-decade political career and 2024 reelection campaign on the verge, insisted in a nationally televised interview Friday that he has both the mental acuity and physical stamina to defeat former President Donald Trump.
“I’m the most qualified person and I know how to get things done,” Biden told ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos in a 22-minute interview.
Earlier Friday, he told a rally of about 300 supporters in the Midwestern political battleground state of Wisconsin, “I am staying in the race.”
Let me say this as clearly as I can:
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 5, 2024
I’m the sitting President of the United States.
I’m the nominee of the Democratic party.
I’m staying in the race.
Some Democratic lawmakers privately – and increasingly publicly – have expressed concerns that Biden, at 81, no longer has the mental and physical capacity to take on Trump over the four months before the election, let alone govern the country over the next four years.
Democrats have grown increasingly concerned that Biden’s time in office is coming to an end, after he appeared confused and halting during his debate with Trump a week ago.
Biden struggled to maintain a consistent attack on Trump and defend his three-and-a-half years in office.
But Biden told Stephanopoulos, “If the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I’d get out of the race. But the Lord Almighty is not coming down.”
But Biden was alert on Friday and responded to Stephanopoulos’ questions with little hesitation. He was eager to criticize Trump.
I’m prepared to fight for it. pic.twitter.com/5r8ZK8zdUB
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 6, 2024
“I was exhausted,” he said of the debate night. “I was feeling terrible … a bad cold.” He said his poor performance was “nobody’s fault but mine. It was a bad episode.”
Biden cited news reports claiming Trump told 28 lies during the 90-minute debate.
“Trump is a pathological liar. The man is a congenital liar.” Biden contended.
Biden cited news accounts that said Trump had told 28 lies during the 90-minute debate.
According to Stephanopoulos, Trump declined an interview with ABC.
The news anchor, one of the most prominent journalists in the United States, inquired whether Biden had ever undergone a neurological test.
Biden responded by saying, “I get a full neurological test every day,” dealing with world and domestic issues.
Asked whether he had ever had a cognitive test, the president responded, “No one has said I need to.”
With Biden’s poor debate performance, numerous polls show Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, leading in the race.
If Biden wins in 2020, the same two major party candidates will face off in consecutive presidential elections in the United States for the first time since 1956.
But Biden disputed Stephanopoulos’ claim that he was falling behind.
“All the pollsters I talk to say it’s a toss-up,” Biden said. Biden assured his supporters at the rally in Madison, Wisconsin, “I am running, and I’m going to win again.”
“I beat Donald Trump,” a forceful Biden said, as the crowd cheered and waved campaign signs. “I will beat him again.”
The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal have all reported that Biden’s mental lapses have increased in recent months.
Some Western officials said they noticed his apparent decline during the recent G-7 summit in Italy.
Biden’s delivery and sharpness in responding to Stephanopoulos’ questions were sure to be scrutinized, not just by Trump and his advisers.
Democrats are wondering if their candidate is capable of taking on Trump, who is 78 and has occasionally misspoken.
The White House realized the importance of the interview with the ABC anchor. Biden’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, stated that “millions of Americans” were expected to watch.
Most Democrats remain steadfast in their support for Biden and his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.
However, some argue that the party would be better off if Biden stepped down and Harris took over as the presidential standard bearer.
The National Democratic Party will hold its quadrennial nominating convention in August, leaving the party little time to settle on its presidential nominee.
Biden Says ‘Only Lord Almighty’ Could Make Him Drop From Presidential Race
