President Biden says ‘I was exhausted’ during the debate against Trump : NPR

In this handout photo provided by ABC, President Biden speaks with George Stephanopoulos on July 5 in Madison, Wis.

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MADISON, Wis. — President Biden on Friday told ABC News that he had “a bad episode” and a “bad night” as he explained last week’s terrible debate performance that has led to calls from his fellow Democrats for him to drop out of the presidential race.

“I was exhausted,” Biden told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, and said there was “no indication of a serious condition.”

Biden, 81, said prior to the debate, he was sick. “I was feeling terrible,” he said. Medical tests, he said, determined he has a “really bad cold.”

Biden has resisted calls for him to drop out of the race. Earlier, Biden gave a defiant speech at a rally, where he shook dozens of hands and spoke to the speculation swirling about whether he will drop out the race. “Here’s my answer: I am running, and I am going to win again.”

President Biden speaks to supporters Friday during a campaign rally in Madison, Wis.

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Biden says Democratic leaders are telling him to stay in

Biden later told told reporters that he had the support of elected Democratic leaders from around the country. Biden said he has talked to at least 20 congressional leaders and all Democratic governors and they have told him to stay in the race.

The Washington Post reported Friday that Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., was working to try to get a group of Democratic senators to ask for Biden to leave the campaign. Responding to that report, Biden said: “Mark Warner, I understand, is the only one considering that.”

But Warner wasn’t the only voice. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s urged Biden Friday to evaluate whether he was the party’s best hope to beat former President Donald Trump. Biden said: “Healey didn’t say anything when I was in the room.” Biden met with the nation’s Democratic governors this week.

President Biden’s motorcade arrives at a campaign rally at Sherman Middle School in Madison, Wis. on July 5.

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And Democratic leaders in the House have decided to convene a virtual meeting on Sunday with the top Democrats on House Committees, according to a source familiar with the planning who requested anonymity to discuss a private call.

Biden told ABC he didn’t watch the debate afterward

The unscripted interview took on outsized importance for Biden, becoming a high-profile test of his cognitive abilities that could quiet calls for Biden to step aside, or make them grow louder.

“I think it’s really important to a lot of donors, to a lot of elected officials who you’ve been hearing from in the media,” Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Ga., told NPR.

But it’s unclear how widely the interview will resonate among voters. Polls have long shown that voters have concerns about Biden’s age, but whether the debate — let alone the interview — will move the needle is still an open question.

“What I’m hearing from voters on the ground is — well, a lot of them might not even know that this interview is happening on Friday,” Williams said.

Asked by Stephanopoulos whether he watched the debate afterward, Biden said: “I don’t think I did, no.”