In his first television interview since his poor debate performance, President Biden aimed to reassure his supporters and calm calls within the Democratic Party for him to retreat.
But many Democrats speaking after the interview, which aired on ABC News Friday night, suggested it did little to change their position on whether Biden should stay in the race or withdraw.
Several current and former Democratic officials who had called on Biden to drop out of his reelection campaign said the interview did little to address their concerns. Reliable supporters of the president's reelection campaign likewise rushed to TV stations to reiterate their support for Biden.
Other Democrats who expressed concerns about the president's performance but stopped short of calling for Biden to withdraw said the interview didn't significantly change their views of Biden's candidacy.
The president's critics within the Democratic Party, including those calling for his resignation, said Biden appeared out of touch with reality or in denial about his chances of reelection.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, the first Democrat to call on Biden to drop out of the race, said in an interview with CNN shortly after the ABC broadcast that “the need for the president to resign is more urgent tonight than when I first called for it on Tuesday.” He added that Biden “does not want to leave the legacy of being the man who turned our country over to a tyrant.”
Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Illinois, also said Biden should step aside, telling CNN the interview was “disturbing” and that it was clear “the president of the United States doesn't have the energy necessary to overcome this deficit.”
“He felt like that was really what mattered, as long as he did his best,” Quigley said, recalling Biden saying how he would feel if he lost to former President Donald J. Trump: “With all the respect, no.”
Several Democrats who have consistently backed Biden said they would back the president shortly after the interview. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, who serves as Biden's campaign chairman, and Rep. Robert Garcia of California said they were open to supporting the president's reelection in November.
“Democrats either need to be courageous or they need to grow courage,” said Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who has repeatedly tried to rally Democrats behind the president with a barrage of expletives on social media, adding that “Joe Biden is on our side.”
“Joe Biden is the man our country needs,” Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, a longtime Biden ally, said on social media Friday night.
And California Democrat Rep. Nanette Barragan, who has supported Biden and is chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, told CNN early Friday that Democrats “shouldn't be talking about” replacing Biden. Later that day, Barragan continued to defend Biden.
“Everyone seems to be looking for points of concern, but I don't see any,” she said. “He answers quickly. He's to the point. He clearly understands the question and the topic and responds accordingly. This was a tough interview, but I think he handled it well.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat and Biden surrogate, said in a statement that he expects more from Biden to earn voters' trust and that “one interview is not enough to do that.”
“I expect full transparency from the White House on this issue,” Khanna said, “and I also expect him to be willing to answer the many legitimate questions posed by the media and constituents about his competence.”
Former Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro, who had called for Biden to withdraw, criticized the president after the interview, telling MSNBC that Biden “sounded calm” in the interview but was “in denial about the decline that people are clearly seeing.”
Former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, who has also said Biden should step down, said after the interview, “I don't think Biden has made a difference.”
“I don't think he energized anybody,” Ryan said on MSNBC. “I think he was out of touch with the reality on the ground.”
“I'm worried,” he continued with a nervous chuckle, “I'm worried, as I think a lot of people are, that he's not the person who can pull this off for us.”
Mark Buell, a prominent Biden and Democratic donor who had questioned the president's performance in the debate, said in a text message that Biden “is in a decline that he is trying to stop. If he is not successful, he may soon become a verb.”
Maya C. Miller, Robert Jimison and Zoran Kanno Youngs He contributed reporting from Washington. Simon J. Levine Contributed reporting from Massachusetts.
