Biden says he would drop out of 2024 race if diagnosed with medical condition
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Joe Biden delivers a prime-time address in the Oval Office on July 14. Photo: Erin Schaff/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Biden said in a new interview that he would consider dropping out of the 2024 presidential race if a doctor diagnosed him with a "medical condition."
Why it matters: Biden is battling a growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers calling on him to step aside after his disastrous debate performance last month sparked renewed worries about his age and fitness for office.
- The pre-taped interview with BET News is the latest in a series of media appearances the president has made since the debate to try and assuage concerns about his mental acuity.
- The interview will air tonight at 10pm ET on BET. The cable network released excepts in advance of the broadcast.
The latest: Hours after the excerpt from the interview was released, the White House confirmed that Biden tested positive for COVID and was experiencing mild symptoms.
The big picture: Asked what would make him re-evaluate his reelection campaign, Biden said he would do so "if I had some medical condition that emerged," according to an excerpt released by the network.
- "If doctors came to me and said, you got this problem and that problem," he added.
- Biden also acknowledged that he had run for the presidency as a "transitional candidate" and that he had expected to "pass it on to somebody else."
- However, he said he hadn't expected how divided the U.S. would become.
- "There's more to do and I'm reluctant to walk away from that," he said.
State of play: Since the June debate, Biden has repeatedly insisted he is staying in the race, and denied that top Democrats and average voters want him out of the race.
- Earlier this month, Biden told ABC News that he would step aside only if the "Lord Almighty" told him to do so.
- In separate interviews this month, Biden has ruled out taking a cognitive test and insisted that his "mental acuity's been pretty damn good."
Zoom out: The question of whether Biden should be the Democratic nominee has roiled the party.
- On Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) became the most high-profile elected Democrat to call for Biden's withdrawal from the race.
- Nearly two-thirds of Democratic voters want Biden to drop out of the race, according to a new poll out Wednesday.
Go deeper: Scoop: Biden rebellion resurfaces on Capitol Hill
Editor's note: This article has been updated to note that President Biden has tested positive for COVID.
