Biden refuses to take independent neurological test four times, as Dem. senator who wants him out plans Monday meeting
President Biden point blank refused to take a cognitive test four times during his first television interview since his disastrous presidential debate.
Biden, 81, sat down with ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos on Friday after a handful of Democrats called for him to abandon his reelection bid.
During the highly anticipated interview, Biden rejected to taking an independent medical evaluation that would show voters he is fit to serve another term.
He claimed his disastrous debate performance on a 'bad episode' and said there were 'no indications of any serious condition'.
Biden told Stephanopoulos: 'I have a cognitive test every single day. Every day, I have that test. Everything I do. Not only am I campaigning, but I'm running the world.'
Biden, 81, sat down with ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos on Friday after a handful of Democrats called for him to abandon his reelection bid
He claimed his disastrous debate performance on a 'bad episode' and said there were 'no indications of any serious condition'
Biden also added: 'No. No one said I had to. No one said. They said I'm good'. In his last physical exam on February 28 doctors had deemed him fit for duty.
Stephanopoulos pushed the president further, asking him to take a test and publicly release the results, which Biden sidestepped adding: 'I've already done it'.
He went on to detail how on a given day he is talking to fellow world leader and dealing with global matters.
The 22-minute interview, which was not cut or edited, was being closely watched by Democrats concerned about the president's ability to serve another four years.
A senior Democratic aide told Reuters after watching a short clip aired before the interview: 'I don't see how he lasts the week as the nominee.'
The embattled commander-in-chief was repeatedly probed by Stephanopoulos about whether he was being realistic in his belief that he could beat Trump.
Biden said he was the best candidate to take on Trump and that only 'Lord almighty' could oust him from the race during the sit down.
Stephanopoulos asked: 'If you are told reliably from your allies, from your friends and supporters in the Democratic party in the House and Senate that they're concerned you're going to lose the House and the Senate if you stay in, what will you do?'
'I'm not going to answer that question', Biden said. 'It's not going to happen.'
Despite his fighting talk, a group lead by Democrat Virginia Senator Mark Warner are to convene a meeting on Monday to discuss pressing Biden to exit the race.
In this handout photo provided by ABC, U.S. President Joe Biden speaks with 'This Week' anchor George Stephanopoulos on July 05, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin
A group lead by Virginia Senator Mark Warner, seen here, are to convene a meeting on Monday to discuss pressing Biden to exit the race
Biden told reporters he had spoken to at least 20 lawmakers and that they were telling him to stay.
Asked about Warner's call for him to go, Biden said: 'Well, Mark Warner, to my understanding, is the only one considering that.'
At a speech in Madison earlier on Friday, Biden defiantly told supporters: 'I'm staying in the race.
'I'll beat Donald Trump. I'll beat him again in 2020. By the way, we're going to do it again in 2024.'
During his Stephanopoulos interview, the Clinton staffer-turned-anchor asked him if he had managed to watch the debate afterwards.
Biden indicated that he wasn't sure, saying: 'I don't think I do, no.'
He also made a bizarre claim about inventing a computer chip.
At one point, he told Stephanopoulos that 'we used to have 40 percent of computer chips.
'We invented the chip, the little chip, the computer chip. It's in everything from cell phone to weapons.'
The interview, coupled with a weekend campaign in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, was part of Biden's effort to course correct from his rocky debate performance.
Both Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are key swing states that will help determine the outcome of the 2024 race.
In those states and the five other battlegrounds, Trump has pulled ahead in polling following their debate in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday, June 27.
On Wednesday, Biden assured campaign staff on a call that despite mounting calls for him to stand down he remains in the 2024 race for the presidency.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also told reporters during her briefing earlier this week that Biden is not preparing to exit the race.
Jean-Pierre claimed 'jet lag' from his two back-to-back international trips 12 days before the debate contributed to the president's poor showing.
Despite the fighting talk however, Biden on Thursday described himself as being a black woman during a radio interview.
Trump has pulled ahead in polling following their debate in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday, June 27
He stumbled over his words during Thursday's interview with Philadelphia's WURD, seemingly mixing himself up with his Vice President Kamala Harris.
He said: 'By the way, I'm proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first black woman... to serve with a black president.
'Proud to be involved of the first black woman on the Supreme Court. There's so much that we can do because, look... we're the United States of America.'
Biden appears to have been referring to Vice President Kamala Harris, but the flub could not have happened at a worse time.
He also referred to Trump as being a 'former colleague' when going off-script Thursday as he tried to insert a jab at the former President.
Since the debate, Biden and his team have conducted widespread damage control and reached out to reassure party members, staff, lawmakers, donors, allies and voters that Biden is still a viable candidate that can beat Trump again.
But many within the party are looking for other options and are floating those like Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
None are able to beat Trump in nationwide and battleground state polling and all fall behind Biden in his chances of winning against the former president.
