- President Biden has faced criticism after appearing unsure about whether he has reviewed his debate performance.
- His comments were made during an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Friday.
- The interview did little to ease concerns about his chances of winning the November election.
President Joe Biden is coming under fire on social media after people seemed unsure if they'd seen his disastrous debate performance against President Donald Trump again.
During a highly anticipated ABC News interview on Friday, George Stephanopoulos asked Biden, “Did you watch the debate afterwards?”
Biden paused for a moment, then said, “No, I don't think I did.”
Biden's response received immediate backlash on social media.
Regarding the president's response, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Chang wrote to X: “I watched the debate again, how can you not get it?
Diane Mantuvalos, a brand strategist and Huffington Post contributor, said this was “an expected question and he could have responded by saying, 'I've seen the video,' or, 'Not all of it, but enough of it that I understand people's concerns.'”
“If he wasn't watching, that would be reckless in itself,” she added. “Any sensible executive would take an hour or two to evaluate performance. What is he doing all day?”
The interview came just a week after Biden had a poor performance during his debate with Trump, stumbling over words, appearing to lose his train of thought and struggling with a raspy voice.
Democratic donors and the president's supporters see the interview as crucial to addressing growing concerns about the president's age and mental fitness, as well as growing calls for him to drop out of the race.
In his latest interview, Biden avoided a repeat of his debate gaffes and reiterated his determination to stay on the campaign trail, saying only “God Almighty” could pull him out.
Biden described his debate performance as a “terrible night” and also ruled out undergoing cognitive testing or an independent medical examination to check for neurological disorders.
When confronted with polling numbers showing Trump's lead widening, Biden issued a blanket denial, questioning the accuracy of the data and relying on internal research that he claims shows the election is still “50-50.”
Stephanopoulos also pointed to his own low approval ratings, saying, “I've never seen a president with a 36% approval rating get re-elected,” but Biden again denied that.
“Well, I don't think that's my approval rating. That's not what the polls are showing,” the president said.
A Biden campaign spokesperson previously told Business Insider that the interview with Stephanopoulos was just one of many moments that show Biden is the right person to take on Trump.
BI has reached out to the Biden campaign for further comment.
