“Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos had to issue a retraction for a statement he made about President Joe Biden, following a conversation with a passerby who recorded the exchange.
‘I responded to a question from a passerby. I shouldn’t have.’
TMZ called it a “stunning” admission made by the former campaign aide to Bill Clinton on Tuesday.
“Do you think Biden should step down? You’ve talked to him more than anybody else has lately,” the pedestrian asked Stephanopoulos.
“I don’t think he can serve another four years,” he responded simply.
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TMZ obtained the footage and published it, which led to Stephanopoulos contacting the outlet to say he should not have made the comment.
“Earlier today, I responded to a question from a passerby. I shouldn’t have,” he said.
ABC News also disassociated itself from his remark.
“George expressed his own point of view and not the position of ABC News,” the company said.
‘That’s not what our polls show.’
After Democrats demanded his withdrawal from the campaign following the tumultuous first presidential debate on CNN, Biden agreed to an interview with Stephanopoulos in an attempt to address concerns about his competence.
However, rather than quelling doubts, the interview ended up exacerbating the already existing division and discontent within the Democratic Party.
“Do you really believe that you’re not behind right now?” asked Stephanopoulos. “Just when you look at the reality though, Mr. President.”
“Well, I don’t believe that’s my approval rating. That’s not what our polls show,” said Biden when told he was at 36% approval.
He went on to claim that he was exhausted before the debate and admitted that it was not a good night for his campaign.
The president has since said emphatically that he is not going to leave the race and that he believes he can beat Trump.
“I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Trump,” read a statement attributed to Biden.
“I can respond to all this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024,” he added.
Several polls indicate that Trump has widened his lead over Biden following the contentious debate.
A majority of respondents in one poll expressed concerns about Biden’s mental and cognitive abilities, indicating they do not believe he should serve as president.
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