Biden remains defiant as pressure mounts to withdraw from presidential race (2024)

Pinned

Biden tells Pennsylvania crowd state got him ‘across the line’ when running as Senator from Delaware

U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden disembark Air Force One as he arrives at Harrisburg International Airport on July 07, 2024 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

President Biden told a room full of supporters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Sunday that Philadelphia always got him “across the line” when he was running for the U.S. Senate.However, Biden was a U.S. Senator from Delaware, not from Pennsylvania.

“Even when I was running for Senate, each time I ran – quite frankly, not a joke – Philadelphia, in particularly, got me across the line,” Biden said, eliciting applause from the audience. “No, I’m not joking.”

Not appearing to catch his mistake, Biden plowed ahead.

“No, I mean it, seriously. Organizationally and in terms of fundraising, the whole deal,” Biden said.

Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but moved to Delaware with his family when he was 10 years old.

Sunday's gaffewill likely provide more fodder for Biden’s critics and supporters alike whose calls for the president to leave the presidential race have grown louder following his disastrous debate performance against Trump.

Biden seems to be getting progressively worse: Dr. Nicole Saphier

Dr. Nicole Saphier made an appearance on "The Big Weekend Show" to discuss President Biden's cognitive state.

During the roundtable she went on to talk about the need for cognitive tests beginning at age of 65.

Saphier believes that annual exams are best to ensure your patients are in the best physical and mental fitness. Stating that early detection gives you a chance to intervene and possibly slow down the the progression of the decline.

"Unfortunately, Mr. President. That's why people are concerned because they're watching him every single day," said Saphier. "They're watching his physical stumbles, his verbal stumbles, the gaffes the, difficulty with memory recall. You know, coming up with certain things. And so you know, sometimes I forget things on air all the time. But I think people are growing concerned with him. Because it seems to be getting progressively worse."

Biden blames everyone but himself for poor debate performance: Trey Gowdy

Fox News host and former South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy took a moment on 'Sunday Night In America'to address President Biden's appearance on ABC in which Biden defended himself against what Gowdy says "may have been the worst debate performance ever."

Gowdy went on to say that Biden's interview had some improvements but that "the bar was a little bit low," and argued there were a lot of excuses.

"Harry Truman believed the buck stops here. Biden believes the buck may have given him a cold," said Gowdy.

Ex-Dem lawmaker, Obama officials says Biden can save America from Trump again by ‘passing the torch’

(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Tom Malinowski, a former Democratic Rep. from New Jersey and Obama administration official, said Sunday that President Biden has another opportunity to save America froma potential second Trump term, this time by stepping down from the presidential race and “passing the torch.”

Malinowski, in an X post, said he was proud to have been the first New Jersey member of Congress toendorse Bidenin 2020 and called him a “uniquely successful president.”

“Today, he can go down in history as the man who saved America from Trump twice – first by running four years ago, then by passing the torch,” Malinowski said.

Malinowski represented New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District between 2019 and 2023. Before that, Malinowski served in the Obama administration as the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

Lindsey Graham says GOP concerned about ‘national security implications’ of Biden’s health

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., right, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., conduct a news conference in the U.S. Capitol to introduce legislation designating "Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law," on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., during an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday said Senate Republicans were most worried about the “national security implications” of President Biden’s mental health.

“Biden is not mentally and physically capable of being president,” Graham told Face the Nation’s Robert Costa. “70% of people believe the nation is on the wrong track.”

While most people were worried about Biden winning the election, Graham said he was more concerned about Biden being the commander-in-chief for the next four months.

The Republican Senator called for all presidential candidates to take a cognitive test – even President Trump.

“Given all the evidence in front of us, [President Biden] is not only in denial, this is a dangerous time for the American people to have somebody at the ship leading the ship of a state who seems to be compromised. So, at a minimum, take a competency exam,” Graham said.

Biden says he’s ‘up for the job’ when asked if he’ll convince NATO

As the fallout from President Biden’s disastrous debate performance lingered into a second week, President Biden in Harrisburg Sunday gave assurances that he’ll convince NATO he’s “up for the job” again.

The president made a series of campaign stops in Pennsylvania Sunday as pressure mounted behind the scenes for him to step down.

Before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington, a reporter asked: “Will you have to convince NATO you’re up for the job again?”

Biden, giving a thumbs up said: “I’m up for the job.”

Radio host fired for using Biden campaign’s pre-approved questions

Radio host fired for using Biden campaign’s pre-approved questionsThe radio hostwhointerviewed President Biden after his disastrous debate performance the week prior has been fired for using questions pre-approved by Biden’s campaign team.

Biden spoke to Andrea Lawful-Sanders, host of “The Source” on WURD in Philadelphia, and Earl Ingram, who hosts “The Earl Ingram Show” on WMCS in Milwaukee.

CNN host Victor Blackwell said Saturday he listened to both interviews and said the questions were “essentially the same in both.”

Lawful-Sanders revealed during a discussion on CNN that the president’s team provided a list of questions before the interview.

On Sunday, WURD said the president's interview was arranged and negotiated independently by Lawful-Sanders “without knowledge, consultation or collaboration” with the station’s management.

“The interview featured pre-determined questions provided by the White House, which violates our practice of remaining an independent media outlet accountable to our listeners,” the station wrote. “As a result, Ms. Lawful-Sanders and WURD Radio have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately.”

Multiple ranking Democrats on House committees want Biden to step aside

Democrats met behind closed doors Sunday as pressure mounted onPresident Bidento drop out of the race.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., held a virtual meeting with ranking Democrats on House panels Sunday afternoon.

Fox News learned that multiple Democrats on House committees expressed concerns about the viability of Biden continuing to run for re-election against former President Trump.

Fox is told the consensus among most Democrats on the call who suggested Biden should abandon the race was that the party should focus on Vice President Kamala Harris as a potential successor.

This is an excerpt of a report by Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner and Chad Pergram. Click here to read the full story.

Bernie Sanders urges people to focus on policy, not age when discussing Biden re-election

Sen. Bernie Sanders,I-Vt., said Sunday that while President Biden had a "terrible" debate against former President Trump, he recently spoke to Biden and continues to support him in his quest for re-election.

Sanders – who at 82 is older than Biden – said people should look beyond age, despite increasing concerns from both parties over the president's mental fitness.

"Biden is old,"Sanders told host Robert Costa of the 81-year-old president. "He's not as articulate as he once was. I wish he could jump up the steps on Air Force One. He can't. What we have got to focus on is policy, whose policies have and will benefit the vast majority of the people in this country."

The senator said he believes the American people want a president with the "guts to take on corporate America." Someone who will expand Medicare, raise and extend the life of Social Security benefits, and talk about a "permanent child tax credit to cut childhood poverty in America by 50%."

This is an excerpt of a story from Fox News Digital's Pilar Arias. Click here to read the full report.

Top Dems in private meeting say Biden should step down as Dem nominee: report

Democratic Reps. Jerry Nadler of New York, Mark Takano of California, and Adam Smith of Washington held a private leadership call this afternoon during which they agreed that President Biden should step down as the Democratic nominee, per reporting from Punchbowl News.

The lawmakers reportedly agreed that Vice President Kamala Harris should be the nominee.

An initial X post from Punchbowl News’ John Bresnahan said Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., concurred with his colleagues that Biden should step down. A follow-up post, citing a Beyer aide, clarified that Beyer “is with Biden but would support Harris [if] president stepped aside.”

Beyer later issued a statement reiterating his support of the president.

"I support the Biden-Harris ticket, and look forward to helping defeat Donald Trump in November," Beyer said. "I was proud to host an event this week in Northern Virginia with the President, and will continue doing all I can to support the Biden-Harris campaign in Virginia and across the country.”

Sanders says Biden, Dems can win election with progressive agenda, doesn't mention president's age

Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally endorsing Jamaal Bowman at St. Mary's Park in the Bronx on June 22, 2024 in New York City. (Steven Ferdman/GC Images)

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Sunday said President Biden and Democrats had a clear path to victory if they “address the needs of the working class.”

The Independent Senator released a statement imploring Democrats and President Biden to continue a progressive agenda. But the statement notably left out any mention of Biden’s age, questions of which have been front and center in the campaign following the president’s disastrous debate performance on June 27.

Sanders said Biden and Democrats must “take on the greed of corporate America and massive income and wealth inequality; raise the minimum wage to a living wage; expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing; lower childhood poverty by making the child tax credit permanent; make the very rich pay their fair share into Social Security so we can expand benefits and extend its solvency; cancel medical debt; and build the low income and affordable housing we desperately need.”

In short, Sanders said, the Democrats’ agenda must benefit “working families and not just wealthy campaign contributors.”

The American people want change, Sanders said, framing the choice between “change that benefits working families” or “the change of Trump’s reactionary and xenophobic policies.”

“The choice is clear. Let’s do it,” Sanders said.

Comer reveals White House physician was involved in Biden family business deals, demands he testify

Rep. James Comer (R-KY) listens to testimony from Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during a hearing of the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus, Washington, DC, June 3, 2024. (ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is demanding that the White House physician appear before Congress to answer questions on President Biden’s "decliningmental state," while also revealing that the doctor has been involved in the Biden family’s business dealings.

Fox News Digital obtained the letter Comer, R-Ky., sent to Dr. Kevin O’Connor on Sunday. Comer is seeking to question O’Connor, given his "connections" with the Biden family, on whether he is "in a position to provide accurate and independent reviews of the President’sfitness to serve."

Comer wants to know whether O'Connor's medical assessments of the president have been improperly influenced by his work with the Biden family with the company Americore.

This is an excerpt of an exclusive by Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman. Click here to read the full report.

Democrats face a reckoning on Biden campaign as lawmakers return to Capitol Hill

A reckoning looms. Mark it on your calendar. It will beginMonday nightonCapitol Hill.Maybe punctuated by a meeting of theHouse Democratic CaucusTuesday morning. Augmented by the customary Senate Democratic Caucus luncheonTuesday afternoon.

The reckoning will slip into Wednesday and perhaps Thursday. We will learn where Democrats stand withPresident Bidenduring this reckoning. And we may even learn whether the president is staying in the race or standing down. It is said that timing is everything. And Mr. Biden and congressional Democrats certainly couldn’t have had worse timing over the past week-plus.

President Biden andfellow Democratshad since 2021 or even 2022 to figure out whether the president was truly a "transitional figure" (as Biden characterized himself) or if it was time to go with someone else. Not after the party burned through the primaries. It shouldn’t have taken until the earliest presidential debate in American history to have a debate of another sort – even though the president’s team pushed for the date and the format of the recent forum on CNN.

This is an excerpt of a report from Fox News' Chad Pergram. Click here to read the full story.

NATO secretary general dodges questions about Biden's mental fitness

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg appeared to dodge questions about President Biden's mental fitness to lead NATO on a tumultuous world stage, tellingFox News on Sundayhe refuses to become a part of domestic U.S. debate.

"What I can say is that I just had, a couple of weeks ago, a good and productive meeting with President Biden in the Oval Office, and that we, this week, will make important decisions at the NATO summit in Washington on deterrence, defense, on Ukraine, and also to work more closely with our Asia-Pacific partners to address the threats and challenges posed by China," he told Fox News' Joey Jones.

He continued: "Of course, all these decisions that will take place this week would not have been possible without U.S. leadership, so I look forward to an important summit in Washington this week."

His appearance on "Fox & Friends Weekend" came as world leaders are slated to meet in Washington, D.C., for the75th NATO anniversary summit.

It also comes just over a week after President Biden's mental acuity was thrust into media conversations following his performance while debating former President Donald Trump.

Jones, who pressed Stoltenberg on the issue, emphasized U.S. national security concerns and international interests such as those in Ukraine. He then asked Stoltenberg if he had personally witnessed any evidence of cognitive decline from the president.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Taylor Penley

Biden blasted for gaffe declaring he'll beat Trump 'again in 2020:' 'Just gets increasingly worse'

President Bidenwas mocked online after yet another high profile gaffe on Friday, declaring he would beat Trump "again in 2020."

After his widely panned performance in last week’s presidential debate, Biden campaigned in the keybattleground state of Wisconsin,where he doubled down on his commitment to remain in the race.

"You probably heard that I had a little debate last week. Can't say it is my best performance, but ever since then, there's been a lot of speculation, 'What's Joe going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out, what's he going to do?' Well, here's my answer," Biden said. "I am running and gonna win again!"

While Biden praised the Wisconsin audience for having helped him win the election in 2020, he said there are some who are trying to push him out of the race.

"Let me say this as clearly as I can, I am staying in the race. I’ll beat Donald Trump, I will beat him again in 2020," he said.

After a long pause, he added, "Oh, and by the way, we’re gonna do it again in 2024!"

But social media caught on very quickly to his verbal gaffe, and the footage of it went viral on X.

Former Trump campaign operative Steve Cortes wrote, "Joe Biden has no clue what year it is."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Alexander Hall

Biden admin is ‘flailing’ in a defensive position ahead of the election: Chris Sununu

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu weighed in on former President Trump’s ongoing efforts to flip his state red during an appearance on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend.

Sununu argued President Biden's campaign is "flailing" after the president's catastrophic performance in his debate against Trump.

The governor argued Trump has an advantage in New Hampshire because he can campaign on the fly, making appearances as coffee shops and other impromptu meetings. Sununu argued Biden can't do the same because he is afraid of being asked questions and often looks "foolish" during unscripted events.

"Trump only lost here by a couple thousand votes back in 2016, so it's very much in play here for 2024," Sununu said.

The eyebrow-raising moments from Biden’s ABC interview: Doing the ‘goodest’ job he can

President Biden dodged questions about taking a neurological test and dismissed concerns about his age and ability to serve a second term during his first post-debate interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Friday, which was meant to re-assure Americans concerned about his candidacy.

The president’s comments failed to calm the storm over his debate performance. Biden at one point suggested he was doing the "goodest job" he could, according to theABC News transcript. He also seemed somewhat unsure if he’d watched his own performance, saying, "I don't think I did, no." Biden stated that "if the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get outta the race,’ I'd get outta the race."

Stephanopoulos asked the president bluntly how he would feel in January if Donald Trump ended up winning the election and his warnings about Trump and democracy came to pass. Biden replied: "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…. I think the United States and the world is at an inflection point when the things that happen in the next several years are going to determine what the next six, seven decades are going to be like."

ABC has changed the transcript after the fact and the campaign disputes that Biden said "goodest." The revised version in the ABC News transcript now reads, "I'll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did the good as job as I know I can do, that's what this is about."

Following a rocky debate performance, Biden has faced several calls to drop out of the race from members of the media and some Democrats.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Hanna Panreck

Second local radio host admits to getting questions from Biden team ahead of interview

Another local radio host who interviewed President Biden in the days following the presidential debate admitted that he received the questions beforehand.

In statementsgiven to ABC News, Wisconsin radio station host Earl Ingram confirmed that he was given five questions to ask Biden during their recent chat and wasn’t able to get through all of them before the interview ended.

"Yes, I was given some questions for Biden," Ingram told the outlet on Saturday.

Ingram, who is the host of "The Earl Ingram Show" on WMCS in Milwaukee, was the second local radio host this weekend to admit they received a list of questions to use for interviewing Biden.

Andrea Lawful-Sanders, who hosts "The Source" on WURD in Philadelphia,told CNN anchor Victor Blackwellon Saturday that the questions for her interview with Biden "were sent to me for approval."

"I approved them," Lawful-Sanders told Blackwell, who detailed the questions, stating they were about Biden's accomplishments, debate performance, progress in both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, what's at stake in the election, and what he would say to voters who are considering not voting in the presidential election.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Gabriel Hays

Adam Schiff says Biden's debate 'rightfully raised questions' about fitness for office

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., declined to say whether he believes President Biden should drop out of the presidential race, but argued Biden's debate performance "rightfully raised questions" about his fitness for office.

Schiff made the statement during a Sunday morning appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." He urged Biden to listen to his closest and most trusted advisors, but said the choice of withdrawing is ultimately up to the president alone.

"The performance on the debate stage I think rightfully raised questions among the American people about whether the president has the vigor to defeat Donald Trump," Schiff said. "This is an existential risk. Given Joe Biden's incredible record. Given Donald Trump's terrible record, he should be mopping the floor with Donald Trump."

"It should not be even close, and there's only one reason it is close, and that is the president's age. What I would advise the president is seek out the opinions of people you trust. He's obviously talked to his family about this, and that's important, but he should seek out people with some distance and objectivity. He should seek out pollsters who are not his own pollsters," he added.

Kamala Harris has a ‘constitutional duty’ to the American people: Rep. Byron Donalds

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., argued that Vice President Kamala Harris has a "constitutional duty" to remove President Biden from office if he is no longer capable of fulfilling his duties.

Donalds made the comment during a Sunday appearance on Fox News.

“I do not believe that Joe Biden has the capabilities of serving out the rest of his term let alone running for president," Donalds said.

When asked about the 25th amendment and potential removal of Biden, Donalds said he personally would vote in favor of the movie. He clarified that the decision lies with Harris and the cabinet, however.

“That responsibility lies with the vice president, Kamala Hariss, and with the cabinet. What we are seeing is that they have decided to cover up for Joe Biden to protect their radical agenda as opposed to doing what’s in the best interest of the American people.”

Newsom stumps for Biden in Pennsylvania, deflects on if 'open convention' would tempt him

CaliforniaGov. Gavin Newsom, while campaigning for President Biden in the battleground state of Pennsylvania over the weekend, was asked about his own prospects should the Democratic incumbent exit the race.

A longtime top Biden campaign surrogate, Newsom has rallied behind the president's re-election bid, making stops in Michigan and Pennsylvania in recent days. Yet his own name has been floated as a potential replacement for Biden should the 81-year-old president step aside and allow for an open convention, when Democratic delegatesconvene in Chicagonext month to formally decide their nominee.

At an event in Doylestown, Pa., on Saturday, Newsom said a second term for former President Trump would equate to "America in reverse" and touted the Biden-Harris administration's record on the economy.

On the heels of a disastrous debate performance for Biden, one reporter asked the California governor afterward, "If it comes to an open convention, will you run?

"No, I mean it's not even..." Newsom began. Interjecting, the reporter pressed: "Absolutely not?"

"That's not even, it's to me, it's the hypothetical that gets in the way of progress in terms of promoting this candidacy," Newsom said.

"That's a legit question, but it's exactly where the other party wants us to be is having this internal fight," Newsom added. "And I think it's extraordinarily unhelpful. Said that literally the second after the debate. It was my first public comments. So I've been consistent in this belief, not just privately, but publicly."

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Danielle Wallace

OPINION: Joe Biden and the ghost of LBJ

This is an excerpt of an opinion article by Arnon Mishkin, director of the Fox News decision desk.

As I write this, one week after his shockingly poor performance in his debate against former President Trump, it seems increasingly clear that PresidentBiden will be forced to abandonhis re-election efforts and allow the convention to pick a new nominee.

Biden would become the first president in 56 years to choose not to run for re-election.

The last president who did so –Democrat Lyndon Johnson– bowed out at the end of March 1968. It was three and a half years after he won a decisive landslide against Republican Barry Goldwater.

Early in his term, the high points of Johnson’s "Great Society" – the introduction of Medicare, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the launch of the "War on Poverty" – made people think he was going to be as important a president as Franklin D. Roosevelt – but opposition to his conduct of the Vietnam War and the 1967 riots across many large American cities had significantly weakened him politically.

At the time of his announcement, two weeks after a disappointing showing in the New Hampshire primary, (anti-war Sen. Eugene McCarthy had won over 40% of the vote – and held Johnson to just under 50%) – and shortly afterSen. Robert F. Kennedy(brother of the late president) had entered the race, polls still suggested that Johnson had a fighting chance win the nomination and that the November race was likely to be close.

LBJ made his announcement at the end of a speech seeking a settlement in the Vietnam War. He unilaterally halted the bombing of the communist-led North Vietnam – and called on the North to move to peace talks.

The words he spoke were not in the "check against delivery" advance release provided to media organizations so the audience was shocked by his closing words:

"With America’s sons in the fields far away, with America’s future under challenge right here at home, with our hopes and the world’s hopes for peace in the balance every day, I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes or to any duties other than the awesome duties of this office – the presidency of your country

"Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president."

President Biden has age and other ‘risk factors’ for cognitive decline: Dr. Nicole Saphier

Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier joined ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to discuss President Biden’s refusal to take an independent mental test.

Saphier argued that Biden's age and other factors put him at high risk for cognitive decline, going on to say that cognitive tests for people in Biden's position are not uncommon.

"It is not so wild or bombastic to think that an 81-year-old at his annual examination would undergo a mental status exam," she said. "At least have some form of cognitive evaluation, because age is the primary risk factor, and President Biden does have other risk factors for cognitive decline. He had a ruptured brain aneurism. He has high cholesterol. He has a heart condition. These are all risk factors for cognitive decline."

Biden is facing increasing pressure to drop out of the race after his disastrous debate performance against former President Trump. A growing number of Democrats say the president is no longer able to fulfill the duties of his office.

Pollster Nate Silver urges Biden to resign after ‘incoherent comments’ in ABC interview

Polling expert Nate Silveris calling for President Biden to step down following his Friday night ABC News interview.

The 22-minute interview with George Stephanopoulos was intended to calm the president's critics following his disastrous debate performance last month — but Silver claimed the back-and-forth made him look even worse.

"This is a pretty incoherent answer including a non-sequitur [complaining] about a New York Times poll, which he incorrectly claims had him down 10 points before the debate (it was actually 3 or 4 points, depending on which version you look at)," Silver said about a clip of Biden describing how he felt throughout the debate.

Silver — who had written a morning column aboutBiden's campaignearlier that Friday — claimed he had "wimped out" and deleted a line urging the president to begin transitioning the campaign to Vice President Kamala Harris.

But the pollster said that following the ABC interview, he believed it was time to begin preparations for a new candidate.

"I wimped out in today’s column and deleted a line saying he should formulate a plan to transition the presidency to Harris within 30-60 days, but I’m there now," Silver said. "Something is clearly wrong here."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Timothy Nerozzi.

Top Dems to meet Sunday about Biden's future despite president's vows to continue campaign

Top Democratic congressional leaders are planning to hold a meeting Sunday to discussPresident Biden'sfledgling re-election campaign, even as Biden himself has struck a defiant tone amid calls to drop out of the race.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., will lead a virtual meeting withtop Democratson Sunday, with leaders expected to discuss the path forward for Biden's campaign, according to an NBC News report that has been confirmed by Fox News.

The meeting will feature Jeffries and top committee Democrats, a person familiar with the arrangement told Fox News, but will not be a meeting of the full Democratic caucus.

The meeting comes after Biden's 22-minute interview with ABC News on Friday, which the Biden campaign hoped would ease fears that the president doesn't have what it takes to continue the campaign and defeat former President Donald Trump in December. Instead, the interview set off a new round of fears among Democrats who were already concerned by Biden's disastrous debate performance last week.

"Look, Biden looked better and certainly more coherent than he looked during the debate, but there's nothing in this interview that is calming the nerves of jittery Democrats who fear that Joe Biden is on a trajectory to lose this race, to lose to Donald Trump," ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl said after the interview.

Biden, however, struck a defiant tone, saying at one point that he would not drop out unless "the Lord Almighty were to come down and say, ‘Joe, get outta the race.'"

Former Obama adviser laments Biden's ABC interview: 'Denial. Delusion. Defiance.'

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod called out President Biden for hispost-debate interviewwith ABC News' George Stephanopoulos and accused him of "denial, delusion and defiance."

"Biden could be excused for wanting to put his awful debate performance in the rear view mirror. That was his purpose Friday in sitting down for the interview — to try and quell the panic that has gripped the Democratic Party," Axelrodwrote in a CNN op-ed."He didn’t succeed."

President Biden told Stephanopoulos on Friday that he was the best person to beat Donald Trump in November and that he would only drop out ifthe "Lord Almighty"came down and told him to.

The political operative wrote, "Denial. Delusion. Defiance." The headline to the piece read, "Biden’s defiant delusion."

"The stakes are as great as Biden describes. And if he believes it, as I think he does, he will eventually do what duty and love of country requires, and step aside," Axelrod said.

"If he does not, it will be Biden’s age, and not Trump’s moral and ethical void, that will dominate the rest of this most important campaign and sully the president’s historic legacy," Axelrod wrote.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Hanna Panreck

Biden campaign changes policy after radio host reveals they fed her questions for Biden: Report

President Biden's campaign will no longer feed pre-screened questions to media interviewers after a radio host outed the campaign's practice this week, according to the New York Post.

“While interview hosts have always been free to ask whatever questions they please, moving forward we will refrain from offering suggested questions,” a source familiar with Biden’s booking operation for media outlets told the outlet.

Radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders, who interviewed President Biden on Wednesday, revealed during a discussion on CNN that the president's team provided a list of questions to approve prior to the interview.

"The questions were sent to me for approval. I approved them," Sanders said. CNN host Victor Blackwell noted the questions during both appearances were about his accomplishments,debate performance,progress in both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, what's at stake in the election, and what he would say to voters who are considering not voting in the presidential election.

Blackwell followed up, "So the White House sent the questions to you ahead of the interview?"

"Yes, I got several questions, eight of them, and the four that were chosen were the ones that I approved," Sanders continued.

Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report

Kilmeade to Biden: This is not a 'part-time lifeguard job at the beach'

'One Nation' host Brian Kilmeade analyzed President Biden's performance Sunday and argued the president has never been "good enough" to be commander-in-chief.

"We've been watching historic panic as the Democratic Party realizes that well, Joe Biden might not be in that good of shape, and he's gonna lose to Trump in 2024," Kilmeade said. "This is about [Biden's] mind failing. Poll numbers should not be a factor. Biden's ability to think, to act, to work is the only thing that matters."

Kilmeade went on to note that Biden met with Democratic governors last week and told them that he needs to "work less and go to bed earlier."

"Excuse me? This is not a part-time lifeguard job at the beach. It is a job for a younger person, perhaps. It is demanding--24 hours. It ages the best of men. Joe Biden is not at his best, and he has never been the best. He has never actually been good enough," he added.

Biden decision to continue re-election campaign may come within days, Hawaii governor says

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, said Saturday thatPresident Bidencould make a decision within days on whether he stays in the presidential election race to seek a second term.

This comes after Green participated in a recent meeting with Biden and nearly two dozen fellow Democrat governors amid concerns about the president's re-election campaign, following the president's shaky debate performance last month against former President Donald Trump.

"I think the president stays in this race unless he feels that it is not winnable, or he feels that he has to hear other voices in his inner circle that he shouldn't run," Green, whose family has known the president for years, said in an interview withThe Associated Press. "If the president felt that he wasn't up to it and truly not up to it, he would step down."

"We'll probably know in the next couple of days how the president feels about all this," he added.

Green said he believes Biden should be allowed to pick who should replace him on the ticket if he were to exit the race and that the president would likely designate Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement.

"I think it’s very clear that the Democratic Party would be ecstatic overall to have the president designate his vice president if it came to that," Green said.

Radio host who interviewed Biden after debate reveals campaign sent her questions beforehand

Radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders, who interviewed President Biden on Wednesday, revealed during a discussion on CNN that the president's team provided a list of questions to approve prior to the interview.

CNN host Victor Blackwell said Saturday he listened to both interviews and said the questions were "essentially the same" in both. Biden spoke to Sanders who hosts "The Source" on WURD in Philadelphia, and Earl Ingram, who hosts "The Earl Ingram Show" on WMCS in Milwaukee.

"The questions were sent to me for approval. I approved them," Sanders said. Blackwell noted the questions during both appearances were about his accomplishments,debate performance,progress in both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, what's at stake in the election, and what he would say to voters who are considering not voting in the presidential election.

Blackwell followed up, "So the White House sent the questions to you ahead of the interview?"

"Yes, I got several questions, eight of them, and the four that were chosen were the ones that I approved," Sanders continued.

"It’s not at all an uncommon practice for interviewees to share topics they would prefer. These questions were relevant to news of the day - the president was asked about this debate performance as well as what he'd delivered for black Americans. We do not condition interviews on acceptance of these questions, and hosts are always free to ask the questions they think will best inform their listeners.In addition to these interviews, the President also participated in a press gaggle yesterday as well as an interview with ABC. Americans have had several opportunities to see him unscripted since the debate," Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Blackwell said Biden's team was not helping prove the "vigor" of the president by sending questions ahead of time.

"And the reason I ask is not a criticism of either of you, it’s just that if the White House is trying now to prove the vim, vigor, acuity of the president. I don‘t know how they do that by sending questions first before the interview so that the president knows what‘s coming," Blackwell said.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News' Hanna Panreck