President Biden said former President Donald Trump “yelled” and distracted him during last week’s debate, an action Biden said only compounded his problems during a disastrous performance.
“How quickly did you realize that night was a disaster?” ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos asked the president in an interview that aired Friday night.
“When I realized that he was still yelling, even though his microphone was off, while he was answering questions, I realized I’d had a bad night. And I got distracted by that,” Biden said. “But I don’t blame him for that, but I realized that I just wasn’t in control.”
The ABC News interview was Biden’s first sit-down interview since his widely panned debate performance, in which the president appeared stuttering, stammering and raspy – something the White House later blamed on a cold.
Biden admits he had ‘bad night’ during Trump debate: ‘It’s my fault, no one else’s’
According to a report from The Atlantic, President Biden declared that he “must resign” following his performance at last week’s debate. (Getty Images)
The agreed-upon rules for the debates included turning off the opponent’s microphone while the president or former president was answering a question. While Trump was sometimes seen and heard speaking with his microphone off, he was not seen yelling at Biden during the first debate of the 2024 presidential election cycle.
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The president’s performance in the debate caused concern and panic within the Democratic Party, with traditional allies and media pundits quick to point out that Biden appeared to be ageing during the debate at his age of 81. This concern quickly spread to mainstream media outlets such as the New York Times, with even Democratic elected officials calling for Biden to withdraw from the race.
President Biden caught people’s attention in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos when he said he wasn’t sure if they watched his own performance in the debate. (Screenshot/ABC)
“The president emerged Thursday night as a shadow of the great public servant he was,” The New York Times editorial board said in a post-debate piece. “He struggled to explain what he would accomplish in a second term. He struggled to meet Mr. Trump’s challenges. He struggled to hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, missteps and terrible plans.”
The Times continues, “At times, he struggled to finish his sentences. Biden has been a fine president. Under his leadership, the country has prospered, its long-term challenges have begun to be addressed and the wounds torn by Trump have begun to heal. But Biden’s greatest public service now is to He cannot continue to run for re-election.“
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Former President Trump participated in the first presidential debate held at CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia on June 27. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Biden, his administration and campaign have sought since last week to ease concerns about his mental capacity and age by promoting a series of immediate post-debate campaign activities, upcoming press conferences and continued appearances.
What Biden said about his debate performance
President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at Pullman Yard in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 9, 2024. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
The president acknowledged his poor performance during the debate, including in his interview with Stephanopoulos, and summed it up as a “bad night” and a “terrible episode.”
“It was a terrible event,” Biden said. “I had no signs of any serious symptoms. I was exhausted. I didn’t follow my instincts in terms of preparation. It was a terrible night.”
He said it was he who should be blamed, not those who prepared him for debate night.
“I prepared for it, nobody’s fault, it’s my fault, nobody’s fault, it’s my fault,” Biden said in an interview with ABC News. “The things that you would normally do, like sit down and meet with a foreign leader or meet with the National Security Council, I prepared for the specific details.”
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President Trump recently slammed Biden’s debate performance in a video apparently filmed on a golf course earlier this week, in which he said, “We kicked that old, broken pile of garbage.”
Biden has vowed to continue his campaign despite calls from both Democrats and Republicans for him to step down, citing concerns about his intelligence and age.
