Biden’s prime-time interview with Stephanopoulos did little to reassure those worried about Biden’s loss. Stephanopoulos’ nonstop questioning of Biden’s mental acuity throughout the 22-minute interview undoubtedly put Biden on the defensive. But the president seems in denial about the magnitude of the problem he faces, refusing to acknowledge the obvious fact that he has taken a step back over the past three and a half years.
Stephanopoulos noted that Biden is trailing in the polls.
“I don’t believe that.”
Stephanopoulos, a veteran of the Clinton administration, told Biden he could never see a president with a 36 percent approval rating being re-elected.
“I can’t believe that’s my approval.”
Would Biden dispute that mental deficiencies have been on the rise recently?
“Can I run 100 meters in 10 minutes? No, but I’m still in good shape,” Biden replied.
Biden’s determination to stick to his guns was belied by the way he delivered the speech, with the same open-mouthed stare he gave while listening to questions, and some rambling answers that made him seem disorganized. Incredibly, he said he hadn’t rewatched the debate that threatened to destroy his candidacy. “I don’t think I had,” he said after a short pause. He also said he was distracted during the debate by Trump’s behavior: “We turned the microphone off and he was still yelling.” This was not shown in the split-screen broadcast of the debate.
But something else also became clear in this awkward interview: Biden feels a strong, and justified, sense of injustice about what is happening to him.
Asked if he could effectively serve another four years, he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “George, I’m the guy who put NATO together. Nobody thought I could expand it. I’m the guy who shut Putin up. Nobody thought it would happen,” he said. “I’m the guy who put AUKUS together and the South Pacific Initiative together. I’m the guy who got 50 countries, not just European but non-European countries, to help Ukraine. I’m the guy who got Japan to expand its budget.”
There were many more recitations of these accomplishments. “I don’t think there’s anybody more qualified to be president or to win this election,” he said. “I’m the best person qualified to beat him.” He argued that, given his track record so far, “I’m going to go down in history as a pretty successful president.”
Biden’s frustration is understandable. He has amassed an impressive track record. The election should be about that, and about Trump’s lies and the unique threat he poses to American democracy. Biden told Stephanopoulos six times that Trump is a “born liar” and a “pathological liar.” But we’re talking about Biden’s mental acuity here.
Biden has faced private and public calls from Democrats in Congress to drop out of the race. Only four House Democrats have publicly called for him to do so, but many others have echoed the call. The Washington Post’s Lee Ann Caldwell and Liz Goodwin reported Friday afternoon that Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is trying to bring together a group of Democratic senators to call on Biden to step down.
Biden aides have blamed the media for his gaffes since the debates. They’ve also blamed Democrats for their tendency to panic. But the problem is real. The public is talking not just about the threat of Trump returning to power, but about Biden’s mental capacity. And if things continue like this, that’s exactly what will happen. It’s not at all clear that Biden can change that storyline without doing what a man standing behind the stage at Biden’s rally in Wisconsin on Friday afternoon said: “Pass the baton, Joe,” he urged on a poster he held up.
Biden, speaking in Wisconsin, said he would not do that. “There’s been a lot of speculation: What is Joe going to do? Is he going to continue the campaign?” he said. “Here’s my answer: I’m going to run and I’m going to win again.”
Biden struck a similarly defiant tone in the ABC interview, saying he would only step down if “Almighty God came down and told me.”
His determination is admirable, and it’s grossly unfair that the entire media report is about his fitness and not Trump’s, but that media report and the poor polling that fueled it are now a new reality that must be disproved, not denied or wished away.
“If you stay in office, if Trump wins, and all the things you’re warning about come true, how will you feel in January?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“As long as I’ve done my best and I’ve done as good a job as I know I can, I’ll feel that way. That’s what this is about,” Biden responded.
No, Mr. President, this is not a matter of effort. In this serious situation we face, the only solution is for Mr. Trump to be defeated.
