In the end, it was an interview that was as personal as it was political, an interrogation focused less on policy or governance and more on the mind and the inescapable realities of ageing.
ABC host George Stephanopoulos was respectful but firm on Friday, repeatedly pressing President Biden on the fundamental questions Americans have been asking themselves over the past eight days since 51 million viewers watched as Biden struggled with weakness on the debate stage.
“Are you more frail?”
“Have you had any other failures?”
“Have you been examined by a specialist such as a neurologist?”
And while Biden dismissed the cascading fears about his health, his electability and whether he could hold on to another four years in office, dispelling them one by one, Stephanopoulos focused on issues of pride, dignity and self-worth swirling just below the surface.
“Are you really being honest with yourself?” Castor asked.
At 81, Biden is 18 years older than his interlocutor. Appearing for Friday's ABC interview, tanned, tie-less and with two buttons undone, the president made every effort to appear youthful and energetic. But viewers couldn't help but imagine the mop-haired Stephanopoulos playing the role of an adult son, leading his aging parent to a conclusion that will be difficult to accept and deeply painful.
It remains to be seen whether Friday's 22-minute conversation, taped in a Wisconsin middle school library and broadcast in primetime on ABC, will be one of the most significant interviews in presidential history. But it was one of the most significant.
Democrats' confidence that Mr. Biden could beat his Republican opponent, former President Donald J. Trump, plummeted in the aftermath of last week's debate. The president's soft voice, long pauses and slurred words, once seen by his supporters as an innocuous but unsettling tidbit of public rhetoric, now take on much darker implications.
Biden displayed many of those characteristics again on Friday, his voice growing raspy and hesitant and his answers occasionally rambling — a marked improvement from the shaky president he was when he faced off against Trump last Thursday, but not quite in his 2020 debate fighting spirit.
“You said you and your team had a bad night,” Stephanopoulos said, and Biden burst out laughing.
“Of course,” he replied, with equal parts humility and nonchalance. Hey. That happens.
But then the anchors started pressing. Nancy Pelosi, a former House speaker and ally of the president, questioned whether Biden's health was more serious. Biden blamed it on jet lag, but he had been back from Europe for more than a week. Did he realize how badly he was feeling while onstage?
The president, who has known Stephanopoulos for decades, including as anchor during the Clinton administration, tried to respond with humor: “Some of our interviews were pretty bad,” he teased.
“Enough is enough,” Stephanopoulos responded, but noted that millions of people watched the debate, which confirmed concerns about the president's age.
After Biden blamed the media for amplifying the concerns of Democratic leaders, Castor said he had been contacted by dozens of supporters who wanted him to “just resign with grace.” When Biden tried to evade the call by listing his administration's accomplishments, Stephanopoulos countered, “What has this three-and-a-half-year effort cost you — physically, mentally, emotionally?”
As the interview drew to a close, Stephanopoulos returned to realpolitik: “If you stay in office, and Trump wins, and all of the things you're warning about come true, how will you feel in January?” he asked.
“I gave it my all and I feel like I did the best job I could, and that's what this was about,” Biden said.
At one point, Mr. Stephanopoulos presented Mr. Biden with a series of scenarios for how he would respond if top Democratic leaders asked him to back down. The president smiled and laughed.
“So, George, here's the hypothesis,” he began.
Anker interjected.
“It's not hypothetical anymore.”
