With his re-election looming, US President Joe Biden will sit down for a crucial TV interview on Friday to persuade those who doubt his physical and mental fitness for a second term in the White House.
This face-to-face conversation with the ABC network is being considered the most important meeting of the 81-year-old Trump’s long career, after a failed election debate with Donald Trump led to an uproar in his Democratic Party and demands for him to withdraw from the race.
The Biden campaign has strenuously pushed back against any suggestion that he is backing out, and just hours before the ABC interview, it released an aggressive schedule of campaign travel for the rest of July.
At least three members of his party in Congress have called on him to step down, as have the editorial boards of several major newspapers and pro-Democratic political commentators.
The president has said he is “not quitting” and will “stay in this race until the end,” but polls conducted after the debate showed Trump’s lead growing.
Biden has not spoken publicly without a teleprompter since the debate, aside from a few brief remarks.
Friday’s interview with ABC host George Stephanopoulos, to be recorded during a campaign trip to Wisconsin, will be a crucial moment for Biden to assuage concerns and reset expectations.
Due to growing interest in the interview, ABC has changed its original plan to broadcast excerpts over the weekend, and will now broadcast it in full on Friday at 8:00 pm (0000 GMT on Saturday).
Biden will face an experienced interviewer known for his firm and effective style.
Stephanopoulos worked for former Democratic President Bill Clinton during his first campaign and was one of his closest advisers during his first term in the White House.
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Biden will have to win back trust with a clear and consistent performance because he has often been inconsistent in the debates.
A growing number of Americans are demanding that he prove he has the energy to defeat Trump in November, and the ability to hold on to the White House for another four years.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of the Democratic Party’s most influential voices, has deemed it “essential” that the president give more lengthy interviews.
Other supporters have called for a longer press conference to assess his stamina.
The White House has announced it will hold a press event during next week’s NATO summit in Washington, but has given no details about its format or duration.
Biden’s travel plans include a campaign trip to Pennsylvania this weekend, followed by a NATO meeting, and a tour of the southwestern United States.
His team said the president “will participate in informal moments several times this month, as he has done throughout the campaign,” to emphasize his popular appeal.
It says the election is “a choice between Joe Biden, who fights for American families, and Donald Trump, a convicted criminal.”
Trump meanwhile challenged Biden to another debate, or “a full-blown discussion”, saying he is ready “any time, any place, any time”.
Amidst speculation about a possible change in the top post of the Democratic Party, the country’s first woman Vice President Kamala Harris has suddenly come into the limelight.
The 59-year-old former California prosecutor — who joined Biden at Thursday’s July 4 celebration — has been performing a delicate balancing act since the debate.
She has publicly offered her unwavering support to Biden, but she stands as a leading contender to replace him if he steps down.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
