Washington:

Joe Biden fended off questions about his mental fitness and electability on Friday in a TV interview meant to draw a line under a disastrous debate performance that triggered calls for him to quit his re-election bid.

With rebellion brewing among some nervous Democratic voters, lawmakers and donors, the one-to-one with the ABC network was hyped as the most consequential of the 81-year-old president’s long career.

But the 22-minute sit-down appeared to provide little reassurance, as Biden blamed sickness for his sub-par performance and repeatedly dismissed polling and fears within his party that the debate had gravely wounded his prospects.

“I was sick, I was feeling terrible… I just had a really bad cold,” said the president, in his first unscripted remarks of any length since last week’s showdown with Republican rival Donald Trump.

The interview was intended to help Biden weather the storm, but his hoarse voice and meandering answers drew immediate Democratic fire for appearing “out of touch.”

Asked if staying in the race might jeopardize Democrats holding on to the White House, Biden said: “I don’t think anybody’s more qualified to be president or win this race than me.”

He dodged calls to have doctors assess his mental acuity, saying that the duties of the presidency mean “I have a cognitive test every single day. Every day I have that test, everything I do.”

The Trump campaign mockingly posted on social media that “Biden sounds great” as the broadcast went out, before concluding the president “is in denial and in decline.”

The interview came after Biden was hesitant and often incoherent during the debate against Trump in Atlanta, leading to panic within his party and calls for him to pull out of the race.

– ‘I’ll beat Trump’ –

The Biden campaign has pushed back hard on any suggestion he may withdraw and, just hours before the ABC interview, released an aggressive campaign travel schedule for the rest of July.

Appearing at a campaign rally in Madison, Wisconsin, the president delivered an energetic stump speech, unequivocally declaring, “I’m staying in the race. I’ll beat Donald Trump.”

Post-debate polls have shown a widening deficit in Trump’s favor, and at least four Democrats in Congress have called on Biden to step aside, as have major newspapers, donors and a raft of Democratic-supporting political commentators.

Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Mark Warner and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries were both planning crisis talks with lawmakers in the coming days, US media reported.

In Friday’s interview, ABC host George Stephanopoulos repeatedly referenced the growing Democratic clamor for a conversation on picking a new candidate, asking Biden if he would step down if convinced he couldn’t beat Trump.

“Well, it depends. If the Lord Almighty comes down and tells me that, I might do that,” he said.

Biden added that he had not watched the debate afterward, saying “I don’t think I did, no.”

And he dismissed the idea that his poor performance was a sign of a more serious health problem.

“It was a bad episode, no indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted. I didn’t listen to my instincts in terms of preparing and — and I had a bad night,” Biden said.

David Axelrod, a top aide in Barack Obama’s White House and an occasional thorn in the side of the Biden administration, said the interview showed a president “dangerously out of touch” with concerns over his fitness for office.

“Four years ago at this time, he was 10 points ahead of Trump (in polls). Today, he is six points behind,” Axelrod posted on X.

The White House has announced Biden will visit Pennsylvania this weekend before holding a press conference during the NATO summit in Washington next week.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Madison, Wisconsin:

In his first television interview since the CNN debate with Donald Trump, President Joe Biden candidly addressed his performance, describing it as a “bad episode” and taking full responsibility for what transpired.

ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos interviewed Biden in Madison, Wisconsin, following a rally with Democratic supporters where Biden reiterated his commitment to staying in the race.

Stephanopoulos didn’t waste time delving into the debate, acknowledging Biden’s team’s characterisation of it as a “bad night.” Biden concurred, straightforwardly admitting, “Sure did.”

The conversation then turned to remarks made by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who queried whether the debate was indicative of a more serious underlying issue. “It was a bad episode,” Biden clarified. “No indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted. I didn’t listen to my instincts in terms of preparing and — and a bad night.”

Regarding his preparation leading up to the debate, which followed his international trip to France for the D-Day anniversary and subsequent rest at Camp David, the anchor asked why the recovery time wasn’t sufficient. Biden explained, “Because I was sick. I was feeling terrible.” He disclosed that medical tests ruled out COVID-19 but confirmed he had been battling a severe cold.

The anchor inquired if Biden had watched the debate footage afterward. Biden admitted, “I don’t think I did, no.”

Pressed on whether he realised how poorly it was going while on stage, Biden acknowledged, “Yeah, look. The whole way I prepared, nobody’s fault, mine. Nobody’s fault but mine.”

He reflected on his preparation style and how he adapted it inappropriately for the debate setting, saying, “I prepared what I usually would do sitting down as I did come back with foreign leaders or the National Security Council for explicit detail. And I realised– partway through that, you know, all– I get quoted the New York Times had me down, ten points before the debate, nine now, or whatever the hell it is. The fact of the matter is that what I looked at is that he also lied 28 times. I couldn’t– I mean, the way the debate ran, not– my fault, nobody else’s fault, no one else’s fault.”

“But it seemed like you were having trouble from the first question in, even before he spoke?” Stephanopoulos asked.

“Well, I just had a bad night,” Biden said.

Atlanta:

Joe Biden and Donald Trump square off Thursday in a crucial US presidential debate that carries enormous stakes for both candidates as they battle for any advantage in their tight race for the White House.

Millions of Americans will tune in to the highly anticipated clash — the opening salvo in what promises to be a bruising summer of campaigning, in a deeply polarized country still scarred by the chaos and violence of the 2020 election.

With only two debates this election cycle and national polls showing the pair locked in the tightest of contests, Thursday’s event at CNN headquarters in Atlanta — starting at 9:00 pm (0100 GMT Friday) — takes on heightened significance.

For many voters, the choice between the 81-year-old Biden, the oldest ever incumbent, and the 78-year-old Trump, now a convicted felon, is an uninspiring one — a dynamic both candidates need to counter.

For Trump, an instinctive political pugilist, the challenge will be to rein in the aggressive tendencies he unleashed — to his detriment — in their first chaotic debate four years ago.

The Democratic president will be desperate to avoid any major gaffes that could underline concerns about his age.

He also will focus on his key campaign message that Trump poses an existential threat to US democracy.

Biden arrived in Georgia about six hours before the on-air showdown, and took the opportunity to greet supporters outside his hotel in Atlanta.

His challenger touched down later aboard his private jet, pumping his fist to supporters on the tarmac before he ducked into a waiting vehicle.

There is certainly no love lost between the two candidates, and both sides have agreed to a series of debate rules aimed at minimizing the prospect of a shouting match.

There will be no studio audience, depriving them of the momentum that comes from ginning up supporters, and microphones will cut out when a candidate’s speaking time is over.

To coincide with the debate, both camps unleashed a series of fresh attack ads, with Trump’s team taking out TV spots accusing Biden of mismanaging the economy and encouraging illegal immigration.

In a morning post on his Truth Social platform, Trump argued that Biden was the real threat to democracy, “and a threat to the survival and existence of our country itself.”

The Democratic Party, meanwhile, paid for five massive billboards in Atlanta trolling Trump over his legal woes.

“Donald, welcome to Atlanta for the first time since becoming a convicted felon. Congrats – or whatever…” the signs said.

– Neck-and-neck in polls –

Trump enjoys a slight advantage in the all-important swing states, but the overall polling looks extremely close in an election likely to be decided by a few photo finishes in a handful of battlegrounds.

The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows Trump edging ahead of Biden nationally, 49 percent to 45 percent.

The rivals both step onstage for the 90-minute debate seeking to allay fears about serious political liabilities.

Biden faces the most concern about his mental sharpness, with voters much more likely to bring up his age than Trump’s, despite the Republican being just three years younger.

Ahead of the debate, both Trump and Biden have had missteps, stumbling over words or appearing muddled.

Trump is also engulfed in controversy over his inflammatory rhetoric, his recent conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records, and fears he would weaponize the presidency to settle personal scores.

– Fine-tuning or freewheeling –

Biden has spent the last week off the radar at the Camp David retreat near Washington, fine-tuning his attack lines in mock debates under real TV lighting.

Trump’s preparation has been more relaxed, eschewing dress rehearsals in favor of informal policy roundtables and workshopping debate strategy with rally crowds.

Aides have encouraged him to focus on his perceived strength on the economy and crime, while Biden will seek to paint Trump as unhinged and unfit for office.

The Trump campaign has repeatedly characterized Biden as feeble and incompetent, but changed tack following warnings that setting low expectations for the Democratic president would only help him.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)