"I was sick. I didn't feel really good,'' US President Joe Biden said of his unconvincing performance during the June 27 debate with Donald Trump. Biden said this in an interview with ABC television, reported world agencies quoted by BTA.
"I was exhausted," added the 81-year-old Democrat.
When asked by journalist George Stephanopoulos if he subsequently watched a tape of the 90-minute debate with Trump, Biden replied "I don't think so".
He described his performance during the dispute as a "bad episode", implying that his poor performance was due to poor preparation, exhaustion and illness. Baidt said the blame for his performance at the debate lies with no one but himself. He called the evening of the dispute "a bad night".
"This is not an indication of any serious condition. "I was exhausted," he adds in the broadcast excerpt, and says he also didn't listen to his instincts in preparing for the debate.
"I felt terrible,", Biden continues, his voice at times hoarse and sometimes stuttering. He adds that the doctors then tested him for Covid, but it turned out that he was not infected. "I just had a really bad cold," adds Biden.
"No one is more qualified than me to be president or to win this election,", Biden also said in the interview broadcast on ABC television.
The president, attacked about his mental abilities by his opponents after the debate with Trump on June 27, said that the position he holds is equivalent to being subjected to a daily test of cognitive abilities. Biden said this in response to a question from the journalist interviewing him if he would undergo such a test or an independent medical evaluation to show if he is fit to hold the presidency.
"Every day I am subjected to a cognitive test. "I'm being tested every day," Biden said. And he insisted he was in good shape, dismissed claims he was infirm and dodged questions about his age several times in the interview, the Associated Press noted. Biden added that his personal doctors are currently assessing his condition and added that they will not hesitate to tell him if something is wrong with him.
During the interview, Biden said that he does not believe the polls that give his rival Trump an advantage at the national level and in key American states, France Press notes. He stated that in his opinion the two were equal positions. When the reporter told him he had never seen a president get re-elected at a 36 percent approval rating, Biden said he didn't believe that was his personal approval rating.
"If almighty God appeared to me and said, ``Joe, withdraw from the race,'' I will withdraw, but he will not appear to me,'' Biden also said.
The interview lasted 22 minutes and was long awaited after the June 27 debate.
AFP noted that during the interview, Biden appeared less energetic than he had during a rally in Madison, Wisconsin, hours earlier, where he assured that he remained on the campaign trail and that will defeat Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, a fourth member of the Democratic Party in the US House of Representatives is calling on Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, Reuters reported.
Congressman Mike Quigley stated: "Mr. President, your legacy is now established. We owe you the utmost gratitude. "The only thing you can do now to cement this for all time and prevent a total disaster is to step aside and let someone else deal with it," said Quigley, who represents the state of Illinois.
in the House of Representatives. Previously, Congressmen Lloyd Doggett, Raul Grijalva and Seth Moulton also called on Biden to drop out of the race.