US President Joe Biden refuses cognitive test in defiant interview

In his first TV interview since his debate debacle, Joe Biden has rejected concerns about his age and health, saying only “the Lord Almighty” could convince him to quit the election race.

• ‘Are you more frail?’: Biden fails in sit-down TV tell-all

US President Joe Biden has rejected concerns about his age and health, denied he is on track to lose to Donald Trump and argued only “the Lord Almighty” could convince him to drop out of the election race.

More than a week after his debate disaster against the former president, the 81-year-old was dismissive and defiant in a prime-time TV interview that was supposed to reassure panicked Democrats.

Instead, it sparked further calls for the oldest president in history to quit, as party leaders planned crisis talks in the days to come.

Mr Biden maintained his debate performance was “a bad episode” rather than “any serious condition”, as he claimed he was in good health and had not become more frail.

Joe Biden speaks to Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos. Picture: ABC

Asked repeatedly if he would take an independent neurological exam, the President said: “I have a cognitive test every single day … Not only am I campaigning, I’m running the world.”

While he avoided any major gaffes, he said he could not remember if he had watched a replay of the debate, while losing his train of thought as he stumbled through some answers.

In the 22-minute interview with Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos, Mr Biden flatly rejected that he was on track to lose in November, saying he did not believe the polls which uniformly have Trump leading nationally and across key battleground states.

Asked if that was a risk worth taking, he said: “I don’t think anyone’s more qualified to be president or win this race than me.”

Joe Biden speaks to Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos. Picture: ABC

Stephanopoulus pressed Mr Biden on whether there were any circumstances in which he would drop out of the race, including if congressional leaders would ask him to quit.

“They’re not going to do that … Yeah, I’m sure,” the President replied.

“It’s not going to happen.”

He said he would only quit if “the Lord Almightly came down and said ‘Joe, get out of the race’”. But Mr Biden added: “The Lord Almighty’s not coming down.”

Former US president Donald Trump. Picture: Anna Moneymaker (Getty Images via AFP)

The President also maintained there had been “no slipping” in his recent public appearances, despite an awkward gaffe a day earlier in which he said he was proud to have been “the first Black woman to serve with a Black president”.

Moments before the interview, Mr Biden gave a fiery speech to supporters in Wisconsin, in which he also mistakenly said of Donald Trump: “I will beat him again in 2020.”

He said millions of Americans had voted for him to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for the extraordinary election rematch against the 78-year-old Republican.

A supporter tells Joe Biden to quit during a campaign rally in Wisconsin. Picture: Saul Loeb (AFP)

“Some folks don’t seem to care who you voted for – well guess what, they’re trying to push me out of the race,” he said.

“Let me say this as clearly as I can: I’m staying in the race … I’m not letting one 90-minute debate wipe out three and a half years of work.”

As more Democrats broke ranks to call on Mr Biden to quit, Texas congressman Lloyd Doggett – the first House member to do so – said: “The need for him to step aside is more urgent tonight.”

Joe Biden speaks to supporters during a campaign rally in Wisconsin. Picture: Scott Olson (Getty Images via AFP)

It also emerged that respected Democratic senator Mark Warner was moving to assemble a group of colleagues to ask him to exit the presidential race, while House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries had called for talks with senior allies on Sunday (local time).

But Mr Biden maintained to Stephanopoulos that all Democratic leaders he had spoken to over the past week had told him to “stay in the race”.

A top party official told US news outlet Axios: “The only thing that can really allay concerns is for the president to demonstrate that he’s capable of running this campaign.”

“Everything else feels like ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ by his inner circle to prop him up,” the official said.

MOMENT THAT SHOWED TIME’S UP FOR BIDEN

If Joe Biden’s intent in the ABC interview was to show the American people that the debate was just a ‘bad night’ due to him being exhausted and unwell, he failed, Dr Louise Mahler, expert in communication and body language said.

While he opened with a “big smile and open arms, a far cry from his frozen and stilted start during the debate,” Dr Mahler saw his audible breathing was very high, pointing to “high levels of stress”.

“When he said ‘I don’t think I did’ to the question about watching the debate (on replay), this was his way of avoiding the question. He did not want to answer it. It was not that he did not remember,” she said.

She noted Biden did not blink for extended amounts of time.

Biden during his disastrous debate performance. Picture: AFP

“Normally this is because of the lack of startle response, but in this case it was intense concentration that a professional of this standing would not normally do – Biden was intensely focused on nailing this interview,” she said.

Dr Mahler “sensed denial” as he spoke of not being more frail than when he began his term as President.

“Biden’s argument that he was exhausted during the debate is highly valid and appeared truthful – although I believe there was another issue Biden faced on the night, and that was performance anxiety,” she said.

“Something he has dealt with his whole life as evidenced by his stutter, yet on the night an exhausted and ageing Biden could not overcome, further evidenced by his bright public performances since. This is a man, yes slowed by age, but with his mental faculties still in place.

“At times (during the debate) his mouth hung open while he listened, which was a sign of age and his voice started to fail and become breathy and croaky around 10 minutes in.

“This for me is another sign of performance anxiety. It comes, it goes, depending on how much stress he is feeling.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden continue to attempt to convince fellow Democrats and voters that the president is up to the job. Picture: AFP

“At times Biden leans forward and drives in his eye contact, which is incredibly unattractive. He speaks of the character of the President being critical, but this part of Biden’s character is not appealing.”

Overall, Dr Mahler said Biden did little in this interview to allay fears he can stay in the presidential race.

“Time will tell, but based on what I saw in his interview the most likely take away for the American public is that Biden is old, frail and the debate was not just a ‘bad night’, but a sign that time has caught up with him,” she added.

Originally published as US President Joe Biden refuses cognitive test in defiant interview