Biden Gives First Post-Debate TV Interview to ABC News

President Biden gave his first televised interview since the debate with former President Trump on Friday, in which ABC News' (Lean Left bias) George Stephanopoulos probed him about his health, cognitive ability, and determination to stay in the 2024 presidential race.

The Details: During the 22-minute-long interview, Biden defended against concerns from across the political spectrum about his age and ability. Biden, during questioning, asserted that he would not step down from the race and that he merely had a bad night during the debate. Questioning whether Biden would take and share the results of a cognitive test with the public led Biden to explain how "every day" as president is like a cognitive exam.

For Context: Before the interview, Biden held a campaign rally in Wisconsin, where he defended criticisms and reportedly “committed to debating Trump again.”

Key Quote: A USA Today (Lean Left bias) writer said it takes both “confidence and competence” to win the presidency, “but what if confidence keeps flowing after competence runs dry?”

How the Media Covered It: Writers from left to right criticized the 81-year-old president. Dana Milbank (Left bias), writing for the Washington Post (Lean Left bias) focused on Democratic concern that Biden will not be able to beat Trump, saying he is a “pathological liar,” yet “here we are talking about Biden’s mental acuity” instead. Isaac Schorr (Lean Right bias), writing for the New York Post (Right bias), said Biden’s team is clinging to the good days, leading Schorr to ask, “Where are they?”