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President Joe Biden, in his first televised interview since his debate performance, sat down with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos in Madison, Wisconsin. During the interview, Biden acknowledged his subpar performance, attributing it to exhaustion and a bad cold.
"It was a bad episode. No indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted. I didn't listen to my instincts in terms of preparing and-- and a bad night," Biden said during the interview.
"Because I was sick. I was feeling terrible. Matter of fact, the docs with me. I asked if they did a COVID test because they're trying to figure out what was wrong. They did a test to see whether or not I had some infection, you know, a virus. I didn't. I just had a really bad cold," Biden added.
Despite the concerns raised about his debate performance, Biden remains defiant and committed to his campaign. When pressed by Stephanopoulos if he would pull out of the race, Biden remained defiant and said he has every intention to stay in the race.
"I convinced myself of two things. I'm the most qualified person to beat him, and I know how to get things done," Biden said.
The President also addressed concerns about his health and mental acuity, insisting that he is the same man today as he was when he took office three-and-a-half years ago. He pointed to his accomplishments in office, including economic growth and foreign policy successes, as evidence of his continued capability.