Key takeaways from ABC TV’s high-stakes interview

Joe Biden is pushing back against questions about whether he has the physical and mental stamina to serve another term as president, arguing in a much-publicized Friday television interview: “I just had a bad night.”

In a pre-recorded interview that aired Friday night, the 81-year-old president told ABC News ‘ George Stephanopoulos that he was sick, exhausted and did not prepare well for last week’s presidential debate with donald trump.

Biden’s performance was so poor that some Democrats, including Democratic members of Congress, are calling for him to drop out of the race. But so far he has vowed to stay in the race.

Here are some key takeaways:

Biden blamed illness for his debate performance

“I was sick, I was feeling terrible,” Biden said, saying a doctor had tested him for coronavirus but it appeared he just had a bad cold.

“It was a bad episode,” Biden said. “No indication of any serious condition.”

He also blamed his opponent, Trump, who spent most of the debate spewing misinformation. “I let it distract me. I realized I just wasn’t in control.”

After a week of blame trading among Washington insiders over who on Biden’s team could be held responsible for poorly preparing the president for the debate, Biden was also quick to protect his team.

“The entire path I prepared was no one’s fault, mine. It’s only my fault.”

He refused to commit to an independent cognitive assessment

“I do a full neurological test every day,” Biden said, saying his work as president and in the campaign trial was essentially a cognitive test. “I had a complete physical exam.”

But asked if he had had specific cognitive tests or an exam from a neurologist, Biden said: “No, no one said I needed it… They said I’m fine.”

“I have doctors following me wherever I go. I have a continuous assessment of what I am doing. They don’t hesitate to tell me if something is wrong,” he said.

Asked if he disputed whether he had more lapses in recent months, Biden said: “Can I run the 110 flat? No. But I’m still in good shape.”

Asked if he was getting “more frail” at age 81, Biden said: “No. Come fulfill my schedule.

He doubled down on staying in the race

Biden said he spoke with top Democrats Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries and Jim Clyburn and that “they all said I should stay in the race.” He resisted hypothetical questions about what he would do in response to the resignation. “They’re not going to do it,” he said. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Look, I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I could get out of the race — the Lord Almighty wouldn’t get down.”

He refused to answer repeated questions about what might happen if more Democrats pressured him to drop out: “I’m not going to answer that question. That’s not going to happen,” Biden said. Four members of Congress called on him to relinquish the nomination and several others expressed concern.

Asked if he thought winning the 2024 race would be more difficult than winning the 2020 race against Trump, Biden said: “Not when you’re running against a pathological liar… Every pollster I talk to tells me it’s a toss-up. …I don’t think anyone is more qualified to be president and win this race than me.”

Asked if he was being honest with himself about his ability to defeat Trump, Biden said: “Yes. Yes Yes Yes.”

Biden said internal polls don’t match low approval numbers

When Stephanopoulos told Biden, “I’ve never seen a president with a 36% approval rating get reelected,” the president responded, “That’s not what our polls show.”

He also said he doesn’t believe polling data is as accurate as it used to be.

The interview did not fully resolve concerns about Biden’s candidacy

There were no major gaffes or stumbles, as there were in Biden’s calamitous performance in the debate. The president rambled and repeated some of his answers, but did not lose his train of thought or appear confused.

Yet even on what was clearly a much better night for Biden, the 81-year-old president looks and talks like a man in his 80s, and the way Biden’s Democratic allies, and his voters, perceive his status of fragility is still a problem. open question.