President Biden did not appease his critics after an interview with ABC News on Friday night, further fuelling calls for him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race and drawing intense criticism for refusing to take a cognitive abilities test.
“I got timid and deleted a line from my column today saying that within 30 to 60 days there should be a plan in place to hand the presidency over to Harris, and now there is. Clearly something is wrong,” pollster Nate Silver said in response to Biden’s interview.
“The most generous way to put it is that he appears to be out of command, but that’s very hard to convince when you’re commander in chief. I continue to think the numbers are low and that Democrats will put incredible pressure on him,” Silver continued, noting that Polymarket statistics give Biden a “57% chance” of dropping out of the race.
ABC News panel says Biden interview won’t ‘calm the nerves’ of ‘nervous Democrats’
“The president is rightly proud of his record, but he is dangerously out of touch with the concerns people have about his policies. [capacities] “His progress and position in this race is crucial,” former Obama adviser David Axelrod wrote on X. “Four years ago at this time, he was leading Trump by 10 points. Today, he’s six points behind.”
“I deeply respect Joe Biden’s lifelong service to our country. [Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez] “What I state in this column is correct: At this critical time, in this crucial election, it is right and honorable for President Biden to step down,” wrote Rick Caruso, a businessman and former Democratic candidate for Los Angeles mayor.
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)
“Saying it’s ‘not as bad as the debates’ is like saying the movie wasn’t as bad as Howard the Duck,” quipped National Review editor Philip Klein.
“The ABC interview was completely unhelpful,” CNN contributor S.E. Cupp said. “There is no ‘A for effort.’ It’s either defeat Trump or step aside.”
“The horrifying thing that this interview reveals… as much as those around Biden have hidden the truth from us… is how much they have hidden the truth from Biden,” Comfortably Smaug, host of the Ruthless podcast, wrote.
Biden slammed for not being clear if he watched debate: ‘Doesn’t he know???’
Many criticized Biden for repeatedly dodging questions from ABC’s George Stephanopoulos about whether he would agree to undergo a neurological exam and make the results public.
Some, including Silver and Versus Media podcast host Stephen L. Miller, argued that his refusal was a “disqualification.”
“I’m surprised there hasn’t been any emphasis on the fact that Biden is flatly refusing to take a cognitive test. He’s clearly terrified of the results. And that’s very telling,” former New York Times reporter Bill Carter responded.
Biden repeatedly avoids answering whether he would undergo neurological exam: ‘Nobody said I have to’
“If Biden is perfectly healthy, why wouldn’t he agree to undergo a neurological exam? Would there be any downside to it?” Insider reporter Brian Metzger asked.
“To sum up, Biden has refused to say publicly that he would take a cognitive test, refused to say publicly that he would consider resigning if asked by key allies, called the polls fake news and said he doesn’t care if he loses as long as he gives his best. This is all Trump-style nonsense. It’s madness,” Atlantic contributing writer Tyler Austin Harper blasted the president.
President Biden drew attention when he refused to take a cognitive test during an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. (Screenshot/ABC)
Some have concluded that the ABC interview doesn’t mean the end of Biden’s candidacy, but it will also cause further uncertainty for Democrats as the race progresses.
“This was a bad outcome. It’s far from solving the problem, but it’s not so decisive or bad that he has to resign tomorrow,” said Michael Tomaski, editor of The New Republic.
Biden admits he had ‘bad night’ during Trump debate: ‘It’s my fault, no one else’s’
“George Stephanopoulos didn’t get to euthanize Joe Biden tonight, but he likely galvanized many Democrats to pressure Schumer, Pelosi, Jeffries et al to get rid of Biden,” wrote conservative radio host Erick Erickson.
“This interview was awful for the Democrats. Biden didn’t make any mistakes — he didn’t do anything to drop out of the race — but he seems old and weak and hesitant and outdone by Trump. So Biden will hang in there. Democrats are in a quandary,” Fox News contributor Ari Fleischer similarly posted.
President Biden was attempting damage control in the ABC interview following his disastrous performance in last month’s presidential debate. (Getty Images)
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Biden’s stunning debate performance sent far-reaching political shockwaves. Liberal Media They called for him to withdraw from the presidential race.
At a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Friday, Biden insisted that he would “continue to campaign.”
