US President Joe Biden says he was ill during the debate against Donald Trump last week.
– I felt terrible, says Biden in a first television interview after the heavily criticized effort.
Four party members in Congress have publicly demanded that Biden step aside ahead of the fall election.
I was exhausted. “I didn’t listen to my instincts in preparation,” Biden said of his performance in the debate, adding that he had a “bad night.”
They took a test to see if I had any infection, you know, a virus. I didn’t have that. I just had a really cold, he continues in the television interview with ABC.
Biden, 81, himself emphasizes that he is still in good shape and that he is the most qualified candidate to take on Donald Trump. But he does not intend to submit to an independent health examination that will determine whether he is healthy enough for another four years in the White House.
I have a cognitive test every day, Biden replied, referring to the challenges he faces as president.
Demands from party comrades
But the pressure on Biden has increased after the disastrous debate effort.
Four Democrats in the House of Representatives — Mike Quigley of Illinois, Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Lloyd Doggett of Texas and Raúl Grijalva of Arizona — have publicly called for Biden to step aside for an alternative, as yet unclear, presidential candidate.
Leading Democrats in the House of Representatives are meeting remotely on Sunday to discuss the situation, a source with access to AP said.
Even Democrats in the Senate doubt Biden’s ability to beat Trump, according to American media.
Virginia Democrat Mark Warner has tried to rally a group of senators to ask Biden to drop the candidacy, two sources told Washington Post. Warner reportedly expressed concern that Biden does not have the ability to run a campaign that can beat Trump, according to the sources.
Biden: Out of the question
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said in a carefully worded statement Friday that Biden now has a decision to make about “the best path forward.”
“In the coming days, I urge him to listen to the American people and carefully evaluate whether he remains our best hope to defeat Donald Trump,” Healey said.
After the televised interview with ABC was taped, Biden told reporters that he “absolutely rules out” that he would step aside and let someone else run against Trump in the November election.
I am the nominee of this party because millions of Democrats like you just voted for me in primaries across America. They voted for me to be your nominee, Biden said during a campaign rally in Wisconsin, according to CNN.