Axios senior media reporter Sara Fischer, a CNN senior media analyst, argued on the network Thursday that President Biden’s upcoming ABC interview won't be enough to fix his reputation with the American people following last week's debate.
Biden's performance in the CNN Presidential Debate has sent some in the Democratic Party into a panic about his chances in November against former President Trump. The president’s appearance and gaffes fueled continued national furor about his ability to serve, leading many of his staunchest supporters to ask him to either step down or prove he has the ability to lead.
While Biden will be giving a post-debate interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Friday, Fischer argued that much more must be done if he wants to reassure voters.
"So one of the things that the president is trying to argue is ‘Don‘t look at this 90 minute debate. Look at my 3.5 years,'" Fischer said. "Well, the challenge also works on the flipside, if you don‘t want us to believe what we saw, then give us multiple examples of you being able to do a live, unscripted interview, so we can see that this was just a one-off, if that‘s what you claim."
The reporter then argued specifically why Biden’s widely anticipated interview with Stephanopoulos won’t satisfy the American public.
"So, the challenge that they now face is the ABC News interview isn‘t gonna be enough. They‘re going to have to show and demonstrate that he can do this, repeatedly, and by the way, in an unscripted format," Fischer said. "I can‘t stress that enough."
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The reporter offered multiple examples of Biden appearances that similarly will not suffice to mend his reputation on the American political stage.
"You know, him doing rallies in Raleigh is not going to convince the American people that he‘s got a hold on this. Him doing press conferences where he has a teleprompter is not going to convince the American people," she said. "He needs to be in an interview where he‘s being pressed live in a spontaneous moment, so people can see whether or not he can really be quick on his feet."
