George Stephanopoulos Reignites Trump-Biden Feud Over Crowd Size (& Picks A Surprising Side)

Supporters of President Joe Biden are more worried about him than ever, following his abysmal performance at the first presidential debate. Unfortunately, his attempts at damage control aren't doing much to ease those worries. On July 5, ABC News aired an exclusive interview the president gave to anchor George Stephanopoulos to discuss both his debate performance and his fitness for office. Biden admitted he'd had a "bad night" because he'd been battling a severe cold, but insisted he would continue his campaign and win against Donald Trump. Only a greater power could persuade him to back out: "I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, 'Joe, get out of the race,' I'd get out of the race," he said (per CNBC).

Stephanopoulos was determined to hit hard, even suggesting the president is less popular than his predecessor. He asked (as seen here on X), "What's your plan to turn this campaign around?" Biden pointed to the rally he'd just held in Madison, Wisconsin: "You saw it today. How many people draw crowds like I did today? You find anyone more enthusiastic than we did today?" Stephanopoulos shot back, "I don't think you want to play the crowd game. Donald Trump can draw big crowds — there's no question about that." Biden tried to counter by mentioning the successful fundraising he'd done, but he couldn't deny the former president has a huge following. (In his ongoing beef with Bruce Springsteen, Trump has claimed he gets a bigger audience than The Boss.)

Always up for an insult-fest, Donald Trump fired another low-brow attack at Joe Biden even before the president's interview with George Stephanopoulos. The Hill referenced a post on Trump's Truth Social account, in which he called the anchor "the meanest and most vicious interviewer out there," and challenged him to "[do] a real interview with Crooked Joe" instead of a carefully edited one.

Trump may have gotten his wish. Stephanopoulos tried a number of times to get Biden to acknowledge the concerns about his age and mental fitness, but the president avoided answering them directly. Asked whether he would agree to undergo a cognitive exam and release the results publicly, Biden dismissed the idea (via ABC News): "Look, I have a cognitive test every single day. Every day I have that test. Everything I do. You know, not only am I campaigning, but I'm running the world." Similarly, Biden claimed he'd already undergone a recent medical evaluation and would not agree to another. 

Stephanopoulos repeatedly asked the president whether he was not only fit to do the job, but also to defeat Donald Trump. Biden insisted he could beat the "pathological liar" and tackle a second term ("I wouldn't be running if I didn't think [so]"). He also flatly denied he has an approval rating of just 36%, as Stephanopoulos cited. But far from instilling confidence that he's doing his "goodest job" (another fumble for MAGA to mock), this interview may make voters more nervous than ever.