This section of the interview focused on the widely reported concerns about Biden’s capacity to be a winning candidate, and his current standing in the race — and the president’s answer is unlikely to assuage those concerns. From the transcript (video of the exchange here):
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: If you are told reliably from your allies, from your friends and supporters in the Democratic Party in the House and the Senate that they’re concerned you’re gonna lose the House and the Senate if you stay in, what will you do?
PRESIDENT BIDEN: I’m not gonna answer that question. It’s not gonna happen.
STEPHANOPOULOS: What’s your plan to turn the campaign around?
BIDEN: You saw it today. How many– how many people draw crowds like I did today? Find me more enthusiastic than today? Huh?
STEPHANOPOULOS: I mean, have– I don’t think you wanna play the crowd game. Donald Trump can draw big crowds. There’s no question about that.
BIDEN: He can draw a big crowd, but what does he say? Who– who does he have? I’m the guy supposedly in trouble. We raised $38 million within four days after this. We have over a million individual contributors, individual contributors. That– that’s less than 200 bucks. We have– I mean, I’ve not seen what you’re proposing.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You haven’t seen the fall-off in the polls? You haven’t seen the reports of discontent in the Democratic Party, House Democrats, Senate Democrats?
BIDEN: I’ve seen it from the press.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, I’ve heard from dozens of your supporters over the last few days, and a variety of views, I grant you that. But the prevailing sentiment is this. They love you, and they will be forever grateful to you for defeating Donald Trump in 2020. They think you’ve done a great job as President, a lot of the successes you outlined. But they are worried about you and the country. And they don’t think you can win. They want you to go with grace, and they will cheer you if you do. What do you say to that?
BIDEN: I say the vast majority are not where that– those folks are. I don’t doubt there are some folks there. Have you ever seen a group– a time when elected officials running for office aren’t little worried? Have you ever seen that? I’ve not. Same thing happened in 2020. “Oh, Biden, I don’t know. Man, what’s he gonna do? He may bring me down, he may…”
STEPHANOPOULOS: Mr. President, I’ve never seen a President with 36 percent approval get reelected.
BIDEN: Well, I don’t believe that’s my approval rating. That’s not what our polls show.
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Publish date : 2024-07-05 23:41:00
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