Biden’s ABC interview Draws Defense, Despair, Some Disgust: ‘No Interview Could Reverse the Damage’
President Joe Biden’s first interview since his disastrous debate appearance a week ago had both supporters and critics venting heated opinions on social media.
It remains to be seen what the long term impact of this interview may be, but in the short term it appears people are fairly dug-in. Critics remained convinced of Biden’s unfitness for office, supporters called out interviewer George Stephanopoulos — and wavering Democrats — and no one seemed particularly satisfied by it.
With the interview, aired as a primetime ABC special, Biden hoped t0 change the national conversation that since the debate has been dominated by calls for him to drop out of the race.
Whether he succeeds or not, Biden defiantly vowed to stay in the race, telling Stephanopoulos at one point he drop out “if the Lord Almighty came down,” but “the Lord Almighty’s not coming down.” Read more about it here.
Biden has his supporters of course, like Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, who himself faced calls to drop out after suffering a stroke during his 2022 campaign. He resisted those calls and ended up winning, and now is calling out fellow Democrats demanding Biden drop out as cowards.
Like I just said on @CNN with @jimsciutto, Democrats need to get a spine or grow a set—one or the other.
Joe Biden is our guy.— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) July 6, 2024
“Pod Save America” cohost John Favreau, himself a former Obama aide, hasn’t weighed in yet on his feelings about the debate, but he strongly disagreed with Fetterman’s tone, at least.
Why have some people suddenly decided that calling voters cowards is an effective way to assuage their concerns?
Who is this persuading? https://t.co/1uCn4HYhb7— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) July 6, 2024
Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan was utterly unimpressed by Biden’s performance in the interview and accused his defenders of lying.
Anyone who tells you they believe Joe Biden can serve a full four years as president, fully competent and engaged, 24/7, for four more years, is lying to you. They are lying to you.
Obviously Trump would be worse. Obviously. But it would still be a lie to say the above.— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 6, 2024
Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah meanwhile dinged Biden for what she effectively described as an unsatisfying tryhard effort.
To only be concerned with getting a gold star for personal effort — as the country faces a collective crisis that could end up harming millions of people— is not what "this is about". https://t.co/ObbiRfjZQh
— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) July 6, 2024
The Atlantic writer David A. Graham had harsh words for the president in a column published after the interview, titled “Joe Biden Doesn’t Understand the Post-Debate Reality”
"No interview could reverse the damage that Joe Biden did to his campaign in the first presidential debate, but his conversation with George Stephanopoulos … showed that [he] doesn’t even understand how profound the damage is," @GrahamDavidA writes: https://t.co/E7FlrrYCWh
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) July 6, 2024
CBS News reporter Kathryn Watson meanwhile declared that the interview is likely to change anything.
.@jonkarl: There was nothing in this interview that will force Biden out of the race, but there is nothing in it that will calm the nerves of Democrats who want him out
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) July 6, 2024
Commentator Dan Riffle meanwhile had this to say:
If there wasn’t a debate and this was everyone’s new “first” impression—let’s say we were back in January—there would be concern. Not alarm, but sufficient doubt that many people would look around for alternatives. In the current climate? Definitely not enough.
— Dan Riffle (@DanRiffle) July 6, 2024
Maria Shriver, who has no shortage of experience in politics, didn’t take a position exactly, but she appears not to have much confidence in Biden after the interview.
The question are you being honest with yourself is a good one. It’s also so important to have people around you that are honest. People that tell you the truth even if it’s hard to hear hard to accept #2024
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) July 6, 2024
Meanwhile, Stephanopoulos also came under fire from Biden defenders, including the Palmer report, which dismissed him as “tabloid trash.”
Sorry George Stephanopoulos, but when you’re quoting anonymous sources from the New York Times, you’re not a journalist. You’re tabloid trash like the rest of them.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) July 6, 2024
USA Today columnist Rex Huppke also dinged Stephanopoulos for, as he put it, focusing on “hypothetical” concerns.
George Stephanopoulos is trying so damn hard to get Biden to address an entirely hypothetical situation, it’s just ridiculous.
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) July 6, 2024
Notice News CEO Andrew Springer came to Stephanopoulos’ defense, calling him “perhaps the best journalist on US television.”
What we learned tonight is that George Stephanopoulos is perhaps the best journalist on US television. Period.
— Andrew Springer (@springer) July 6, 2024
But Biden and the Democratic Party gained at least one unlikely defender, former Trump aide Anthony Scaramucci, who declared he’s voting for Biden or whoever may end up being the Democratic nominee.
I am voting for Joe Biden. If he comes out of the race I am voting for Donald Trump’s opponent.
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) July 6, 2024
Commentator Charlotte Clymer called out how major media figures have reacted to the interview, accusing them of acting in bad faith purely to force Biden out of the race
Y'all, it's become crystal clear at this point that there's nothing Pres. Biden can do to mollify critical pundits and journalists. He could ace every interview he's offered, and it wouldn't be enough. They've decided they want him out, and nothing else matters. Not a damn thing.
— Charlotte Clymer
(@cmclymer) July 6, 2024
Commentator Aaron Rupar agreed with Clymer’s view of the media, and said he sees it as evidence Biden will have a “very tough time beating Trump” because of it.
Whether you think Biden is the best candidate for the job or not, I'm very confident in saying he'll have an extremely tough time beating Trump in the face of a media environment hanging on his every syllable and hunting for stuff like this pic.twitter.com/fpAMPF89uA
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 5, 2024
But Podcaster Molly Jong-Fast at least provided some humor from it all:
That was the first time I’ve watched network television in forever
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) July 6, 2024
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