WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will sit down Friday for his first televised interview since disastrous debate performance Last week could be decisive in determining whether he can save his struggling candidacy.
The interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos is becoming one of the most high-stakes moments for a president or candidate in years. Democratic elected officials, donors and voters will be watching to see if he can still perform in a competitive environment and deliver a performance worthy of the party’s nomination to defeat Donald Trump this fall.
The interview will “air in its entirety as a special” on Friday at 8:00 PM ET ABC phelpadding that “an unedited transcript of the interview will be made available later that day.”
The main questions on many Democrats’ minds are: Was the weakness and inconsistency he displayed in the debates? abnormales, or have these become commonplace for Biden? Can he still run a strong campaign that has a reasonable chance of defeating Trump? Or, would Democrats be better off if Biden stepped aside to nominate a replacement candidate — likely Vice President Kamala Harris — at next month’s convention?
“Every appearance he makes between now and the convention is make-or-break in terms of Democratic support for him to continue as our nominee,” said a Democratic lawmaker in Congress who privately expressed doubts that Biden could stay in the race. “He must show that he can take all the measures required for an active, successful campaign.”
Democrats have reason to be upset. Even before the debates began, polls showed that while Biden was in a narrow race against Trump, he was responsible for questions about age and fitness that followed him throughout the campaign, including among his own Democratic base. Post-debate polls are a mixed bag — some have shown a drop in Biden’s support but within the margin of error, while others have shown a statistically significant shift in tests against Trump.
As some Democrats call it withdraw from the race, Biden continues to defy the public. At a July 4 White House party, she told a guest who sent her a message of support: “I’m not going anywhere.”
He On Wednesday, he stepped up his efforts to calm jittery Democrats — talking to congressional leaders, meeting with governors and making hand-to-hand calls with campaign staff members who have vowed to stay in the race.
“No one is pressuring me,” Biden said, according to a campaign official who called staffers. “I’m not going. I am in this race until the end and we will win.”
But privately, Biden remains torn Sources familiar with the matter told NBC News between accepting that he may have to step aside and defying those calls.
Other Democrats say Biden’s interview on Friday will matter less in the coming days in the Biden-Trump White House race than what polls say nationally and in battleground states, as well as signals whether his candidacy is hurting. Democrats hope to win seats in the House and Senate in a highly competitive battle for control of both chambers.
The House Democrat, who represents a competitive district, said Biden’s position has weakened to the point where it could cost Democrats the House.
Allies say it’s critical for Biden to hold more interviews, town halls and events in unscripted settings. After the debate, he made several appearances at rallies and fundraisers and at the White House — usually with a teleprompter in a controlled setting.
Over the past week, Biden has admitted that his communication skills have slipped, but he remains in command when it comes to doing his job as president, arguing that Trump is too dishonest and dangerous to hold onto power. At 81, Biden is only three years older than 78-year-old Trump, whose lies, bluster and frustrations at the Atlanta debate were overshadowed by Biden’s inability to provide coherent answers.
Trump attacked Stephanopoulos on social media on Thursday. calls him “the meanest and cruelest Interviewer”. That too called “another debate” with Biden, but without moderators – “no holds barred this time – everything is discussed, just the two of us on stage, talking about the future of our country.”
Biden’s appearance on ABC may be the most important interview for a presidential candidate since 1992, when Bill and Hillary Clinton sat down. for an interview A show of solidarity after Gennifer Flowers said she had an extramarital affair with Bill Clinton for 12 years.
The man who arranged that interview?
Stephanopoulos, it was then communications director for Clinton’s campaign.
Gabe Gutierrez and Tara Prindiville contributed.