President Joe Biden’s ongoing challenge to demonstrate his physical and cognitive readiness for a second term is evolving into a deeply personal and national issue.
The sight of an aging Biden candidly addressing health-related questions on primetime television—a matter typically reserved for private doctor-patient interactions—was a stark reminder of the human aspects of aging. Many Americans, who hold Biden in high regard, likely felt a pang of empathy witnessing his struggle in such a public forum.
However, Biden’s position, marked by his performance in a recent presidential debate and his staunch refusal to consider the implications for his reelection campaign, is compelling the nation to confront this issue.
The political tide appears to be shifting against Biden, but his recent interview highlighted his immense pride in a presidency he fought for over nearly five decades. His determination to persevere, despite calls for him to step aside, complicates the Democratic Party’s predicament.
Although Biden’s interview performance surpassed his often disjointed debate showing, it did not completely alleviate concerns about his health or quell the rising anxiety within his party. Increasing signs indicate that his Democratic support base is fracturing.
The situation suggests that Biden, his party, and the country are drifting towards a political crisis, raising the extraordinary possibility that the presumptive nominee could be replaced shortly before the national convention and the critical upcoming election.
The challenges to Biden’s prospects are growing rapidly. On Friday, two additional Democratic congressmen called for the president to yield the nomination to a younger candidate. Senator Mark Warner of Virginia is pushing for Senate Democrats to unify on Biden’s future, reportedly reaching a point where he believes Biden should suspend his campaign. Meanwhile, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has scheduled a virtual meeting with senior party members amid increasing pressure from his colleagues over Biden’s candidacy.
A test set by the campaign Biden’s campaign arranged the ABC News interview to demonstrate that his stumbling debate performance was an anomaly and to counter growing doubts about his candidacy for the 2024 election.
During the interview, Biden appeared more composed and articulate than during the CNN debate. He more effectively highlighted his accomplishments in office and presented a stronger case against Trump. Despite calls from some Democratic lawmakers for him to withdraw, he remained resolute in his commitment to his reelection bid.
Biden dismissed concerns about his health, asserting that he was not in worse shape than before. He confidently stated, “Can I run the 100 (in) 10 flat? No, but I’m still in good shape.”
“I don’t think anybody’s more qualified to be president or win this race than me,” Biden declared in the interview conducted in Wisconsin, a swing state.
He also downplayed the significance of his poor debate performance, attributing it to temporary factors and insisted he was capable of handling the demands of the presidency and a reelection campaign at the age of 81.
However, Biden’s admission that he felt “terrible” in the days leading up to the debate raised further questions about his health. This admission, coupled with moments during the interview where he seemed uncertain or trailed off mid-sentence, compounded concerns about his overall fitness for office. Additionally, he offered multiple explanations for his debate performance, including claims of being overloaded with information by staff, jet-lagged, and suffering from a cold. He also cited Trump’s insistence on speaking despite having his microphone muted as a factor that threw him off.
When asked if he was the same person who took office three years ago, Biden responded by listing his achievements. “In terms of successes, yes,” he said. He cited his work on a Middle East peace plan, expanding NATO, and growing the economy as evidence of his continued capability.
Biden took responsibility for his poor debate performance, calling it a “bad night.” However, with increasing concern among Democrats about his chances in November and the implications of a potential Trump victory, the impact of that one bad night looms large. A significant portion of the electorate doubts Biden’s fitness for another term, raising questions about whether he can serve effectively until January 2029.
Concerns about the next four years Biden and his supporters argue that his achievements in office should not be overshadowed by his debate performance. They emphasize the threat posed by Trump and his authoritarian tendencies as a far greater concern than Biden’s capacity.
Yet, many Americans are more concerned with whether Biden can handle four more grueling years in the White House.
The interview also raised questions about Biden’s awareness of the debate’s negative impact on his campaign. He disputed polling data showing him slipping behind Trump both nationally and in key swing states.
The interview was part of a series of events, including a rally and an upcoming news conference at the NATO summit, aimed at demonstrating Biden’s fitness for office. However, these efforts did not quell the growing calls for him to step aside.
Representative Brad Sherman of California suggested that Biden needed to participate in a prolonged, live television interview to prove his stamina. Other members are demanding more public appearances from the president to demonstrate his vitality, despite the campaign’s promise of an “aggressive” schedule of events in July.
Despite these efforts, demands for Biden to withdraw continue to grow.
“President Biden has done enormous service to our country, but now is the time for him to follow in one of our founding fathers, George Washington’s, footsteps and step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump,” said Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton in an interview with Boston radio station WBUR. Illinois Representative Mike Quigley also voiced his belief that Biden’s continued candidacy has “almost no hope of succeeding.”
“What we need right now – and what I think takes a spine – is to step aside and recognize the president of the United States doesn’t have the vigor necessary to overcome the deficit here and it’s going to affect us all,” Quigley told MSNBC.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey urged Biden to carefully evaluate whether he remains the best hope to defeat Trump. She committed to doing everything in her power to defeat Trump, regardless of Biden’s decision.
The growing debate over Biden’s candidacy is particularly painful for Democrats, many of whom believe he has done a commendable job in office. However, the fear of a second Trump term increasingly seems to overshadow satisfaction with Biden’s achievements.
In response to these concerns, Biden used a recent rally to shift the focus from his age to his accomplishments.
“I keep seeing all those stories about I’m being too old,” he said. “Let me say something. I wasn’t too old to create over 15 million new jobs. To make sure 21 million Americans are insured under the Affordable Care Act. Was I too old to release student debt for nearly 5 million Americans? Too old to put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court in the United States of America?”
Every word Biden utters is now under intense scrutiny, and even a single misstep could bolster narratives about his age and mental acuity. His remarks in the ABC interview, including a fatalistic statement about how he’d feel if Trump won, are likely to further fuel concerns among Democrats about his mindset and the upcoming election.
“I’ll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did the goodest job as I know I can do, that’s what this is about,” Biden said.
