(LibertyInsider.org) – President Joe Biden spoke in an interview with BET News correspondent Ed Gordon on Wednesday, July 17, and answered one particularly tough question: What, if anything, would prompt the president to reevaluate his reelection bid? Biden replied he would consider stepping aside if his doctors disclosed he had a medical condition that would preclude his ability to serve.
During the interview, Biden conceded he had “made a serious mistake” during the debate with former President Donald Trump. Additionally, he reminded Gordon he had initially intended to serve as a transitional candidate, serving only one term before “pass[ing] it on to someone else.”
However, he explained he never anticipated the country becoming so divided. He described his accomplishments in his first term but said so much remained undone that he was “reluctant to walk away” from an opportunity to heal division and achieve more.
After his performance at the debate, a growing list of Democratic leaders has called for Biden to step aside to allow the party to nominate a new candidate at the Democratic National Convention in August. Those who’ve added their voices to the call include House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries( D-NY), Senate leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and influential Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Yet, Biden has remained steadfast in his decision to run as the Democratic nominee.
In a July 5 interview, ABC correspondent George Stephanopoulos asked the president if he would “stand down” if he became convinced he couldn’t defeat Trump. Biden replied, “if the Lord Almighty comes down and tells me that, I might do that.”
The news veteran also asked the presumptive Democratic nominee about a hypothetical situation where Jeffires, Schumer, and Pelosi asked him to step aside. Once again, Biden scoffed at the possibility, saying, “Well, […] they’re not gonna do that.”
When Stephanopoulos pressed on, asking what the president would do if friends, supporters, and allies expressed concerns he would lose the presidency and both houses of Congress by staying in the race, Biden refused to answer. He stated, “It’s not gonna happen,” dismissing the possibility that’s seemingly become a reality.
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