ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos has apologized for saying President Joe Biden would not be able to serve another term, days after grilling the presidential candidate following his disastrous debate performance with President Donald Trump.
Former National Security Adviser Bill Clinton said on Tuesday Video obtained by TMZ He answered questions from passersby in midtown Manhattan about Biden’s political future.
“I don’t believe he can serve another four years,” Stephanopoulos said.
His comments echoed the sentiments of many in the Democratic Party who have called for the 81-year-old Biden to stop seeking reelection out of concern for his mental health.
However, Stephanopoulos quickly retracted his statement hours after the video went viral, saying he regretted giving his candid response.
“Today I answered a question from a passerby. I shouldn’t have done that,” the news anchor said.
ABC News also sought to distance itself from Stephanopoulos’ opinions.
“George expressed his own views and did not represent a position of ABC News,” the Disney-owned news division said in a separate statement.
Stephanopoulos, co-host of ABC News’ “This Week” and “Good Morning America,” interviewed Biden last Friday following Biden’s poor performance in the June 27 debate.
Reporters asked Biden whether he had taken cognitive tests and how he would feel if he continued to run for president but lost to Trump.
An estimated 8.5 million Americans watched at least part of Stephanopoulos’ 22-minute post-debate interview with Biden, which was rebroadcast on “This Week” on Sunday.
The president repeatedly excused his dismal performance in his first presidential battle with Trump, saying he was “exhausted” and “had a bad cold,” and complained that he was “distracted” by what Trump said. Biden also couldn’t recall whether he’d seen the video of his debate meltdown.
Biden said his frequent mistakes during the Atlanta debate were “bad incidents” and not a sign of permanent decline, but he refused to undergo cognitive testing to verify his statements.
“Look, I take cognitive tests every day,” Biden said. “I take tests every day. Everything I do. You know, I don’t just run a campaign. I run the world. And this may sound like an exaggeration, but we are the center of the world.”
