In a rare primetime interview with ABC News, President Joe Biden firmly declared that only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to end his re-election campaign.
The interview, aired on Friday, was aimed at addressing growing concerns within the Democratic Party regarding his candidacy.
Despite being urged to take a cognitive test and make the results public to reassure voters of his fitness for another term, the 81-year-old president declined.
“I have a cognitive test every single day. Every day I have that test – everything I do [is a test],” he told interviewer George Stephanopoulos.
Biden also dismissed suggestions from Democratic officials and donors that he should step aside for a younger candidate, following his poor performance in a recent debate with Donald Trump.
Blaming his debate struggles on exhaustion and a “bad cold,” Biden insisted, “I don’t think anybody’s more qualified to be president or win this race than me.”
Throughout the 22-minute interview, Biden sought to calm Democratic fears that he had lost ground to Trump, citing pollsters who described the race as a “toss-up.” He also firmly rejected the idea that allies might ask him to withdraw from the race.
“It’s not going to happen,” he stated, adding that he would only consider stepping down if directed by divine intervention, which he quickly dismissed as unlikely.
During the interview, Biden appeared more coherent than on the debate stage, though his voice remained weak and occasionally hoarse.
This contrasted sharply with his energized performance at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin, where he acknowledged the fallout from the debate. “Ever since then, there’s been a lot of speculation. What’s Joe going to do?” he asked the crowd, before emphatically declaring, “I am running and going to win again.”
The rally, held in the crucial battleground state, drew enthusiastic supporters but also highlighted dissent within the party. Some attendees held signs urging Biden to “Pass the torch, Joe” and “Save your legacy, drop out!”
Biden responded to critics by touting his accomplishments in office. “I see all these stories that say I’m too old,” he said, before listing achievements such as job creation and student debt relief. “Was I too old to create 15 million jobs? Was I too old to erase student debt for five million Americans?” he asked the crowd, which responded with a resounding “no.”
The president also took aim at his rival, Trump, referring to him as a “one-man crime wave” and referencing Trump’s legal troubles, including a criminal conviction in New York.
Pressure on Biden to step aside has intensified since the debate, with some major Democratic donors threatening to withhold funds unless he is replaced. His campaign is planning an aggressive comeback, with First Lady Jill Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris set to embark on a campaign blitz across swing states this month.
Reports suggest that Biden’s senior team is acutely aware of the pressure from within the Democratic Party to make a decision about his candidacy soon. On Friday, it was reported that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had scheduled a meeting with senior House Democrats to discuss Biden’s re-election bid.
Four Democratic representatives—Lloyd Doggett of Texas, Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, and Mike Quigley of Illinois—have publicly called for Biden to withdraw.
Moulton, speaking to radio station WBUR, said, “President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in George Washington’s footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump.”
Despite these calls, Biden’s campaign has pointed out that no senior Democrats have asked him to quit. However, reports indicated that Senator Mark Warner was attempting to form a group of Democratic senators to request Biden’s withdrawal following concerns raised after the debate.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, a Biden ally, issued a statement urging the president to “carefully evaluate” his position as the Democratic nominee. “Whatever President Biden decides, I am committed to doing everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump,” she stated.
As Biden continues his campaign, his determination to stay in the race remains steadfast, despite growing calls for a generational change within the Democratic Party. The coming days are crucial as Biden seeks to regain lost ground and reassure his supporters of his capability to lead the nation for another term.