- Stephanopoulos, 63, was detained for an interview to give his reaction.
- His comments were shocking and went viral on social media.
- Stephanopoulos offered a public apology for his comments later Tuesday.
George Stephanopoulos gave his blunt assessment of Joe Biden’s performance in his blockbuster interview on Friday, and then immediately backed off.
Biden’s lackluster performance in an ABC News interview with the former White House press secretary on Friday followed a disastrous showing in last month’s debate.
Stephanopoulos, 63, was detained for an interview to give his reaction to the fallout from his talk with the president.
Asked by a passerby if Biden should resign, he replied: “I don’t think I can serve four more years.”
The video soon went viral on the Internet and now the regular ABC News contributor has issued a statement of regret.
ABC News star anchor George Stephanopoulos has apologized after giving his blunt assessment of Joe Biden’s performance in his blockbuster interview on Friday.
Biden’s lackluster performance in a television interview with the former White House press secretary on Friday followed a disastrous showing in last month’s debate.
“Today I answered a question from a passerby. I shouldn’t have done that,” he said. Puck News in response to the video, initially posted on TMZ.
ABC News issued its own statement on what Stephanopoulos had said.
‘George expressed his own point of view and not the position of ABC News.’
Biden’s cognitive function has been under intense scrutiny since his car-crashed presidential debate with Donald Trump last month.
On Friday, he attempted damage control with a one-on-one interview with ABC, a performance that was once again criticized by members of his own party.
Biden made it through the 22-minute ABC News interview on Friday without any major gaffes, but he appeared unlikely to fully quell concerns about his age and fitness for another four years and his ability to defeat Donald Trump in November.
The stalemate has led to Biden dropping out of the race, but he has so far remained steadfast in his commitment to run. Looking ahead, a senior Democratic adviser said ABC News that the president should “prepare for a wild week.”
Many had hoped Friday’s interview with George Stephanopoulos would be a chance for Biden, 81, to show he was fit to continue leading.
The video soon went viral on the Internet and now the well-known ABC News member has offered a public apology.
Biden made it through the 22-minute ABC News interview on Friday without any major gaffes, but he appeared unlikely to fully allay concerns about his age and fitness for another four years and his ability to defeat Donald Trump in November.
But his performance, which included answering questions in a hoarse voice, losing his thread mid-sentence and rambling on, left many Democrats unconvinced.
The president has remained steadfast in his stance to remain in the race since the interview.
Several prominent Democrats are now desperately looking for possible alternatives if Biden drops out of the race.