President Joe Biden has stated, in response to essentially any question, that he will definitely, definitely, “1,000 percent” remain in the presidential race.
But while answering questions from journalists in recent weeks, the embattled Democrat has given some hints as to why he might be stepping down, especially as calls within his own party for him to end his candidacy continue unabated.
Biden cited several reasons, some serious and some not, that might cause him to reconsider running:
Divine Intervention
It was a defiant response that suggested Biden had no intention of backing down.
In the ABC News interview that marked the first major test of his fitness to be president, host George Stephanopoulos asked the 81-year-old Biden whether he was confident he could beat Republican opponent Donald Trump.
“I'm sure of two things,” Biden said, “I'm the best person to defeat him, and I know how to get things done.”
Stephanopoulos pressed further: “If you were sure you couldn't beat Donald Trump, would you resign?”
“It depends,” Biden responded. “I mean, if the almighty God came along and told me, I might do it.”
Cold Data
No politician wants to lose, and Biden seems willing to walk away if there is numerical evidence that this will happen.
At a news conference closing the NATO summit in Washington last week, Biden was asked whether he would step down if aides suggested Vice President Kamala Harris would be a stronger challenge to President Trump than he would be.
Biden's initial response was “no,” but then he elaborated.
“Unless they come back and say, 'You're not going to win,' that's me,” he said. “Nobody's saying that. No poll says that.”
Although there is limited polling available, the race is expected to be tightly contested with several months to go until the election, with some polls of likely voters giving Trump a slight edge while others give neither candidate an advantage.
A fateful accident
Biden wasn't directly asked about the hypothetical, but presented the new scenario anyway.
As Speedy Moman, a host for the entertainment network Complex, wrapped up an interview with Biden in Detroit last week, he asked the president one final question: “In your words, 1,000 percent, do you think we'll see you on the ballot in November?”
“Unless you get hit by a train,” Biden joked.
Moman responded: “For everyone's safety, let's hope that doesn't happen.”
An undiagnosed illness
Biden spoke with BET journalist Ed Gordon in an interview set to air Wednesday night. During the conversation, Gordon asked Biden if there were any factors that would make him reconsider running.
He did not repeat other reasons he had given previously, but rather gave new ones.
“If I were to be diagnosed with some kind of health problem,” Biden told Gordon, “and a doctor came to me and said, 'You have this problem, you have that problem.'
As the oldest US president, Biden's health has been under scrutiny long before his dismal debate performance.
After Biden's most recent medical examination in February, the president's physician, Kevin O'Connor, said Biden “remains in good health to successfully perform the duties of the presidency.” A neurological exam more than a month ago showed no signs of stroke, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease, O'Connor said. He also said no cognitive testing was necessary.
Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday as he was trying to consolidate support among disillusioned voters key to his reelection, leading him to cancel a meeting with members of a Latino civil rights group in the battleground state of Nevada.
