ABC News and George Stephanopoulos scrambled to apologize Tuesday after the host publicly expressed that President Joe Biden cannot serve another term in office.
Raw footage first posted by TMZ caught Stephanopoulos telling an unidentified person he does not believe Biden “can serve four more years” shortly after conducting a sit-down interview with the president. He later confirmed to be the person in the footage, and expressed regret for his remark.
#GeorgeStephanopoulos just made a STUNNING comment: he told someone on the streets of #NewYork that he doesn’t think President #JoeBiden can serve another term! https://t.co/cFMK2Uxx4z pic.twitter.com/pxKkolFcGt
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 9, 2024
“Earlier today I responded to a question from a passerby. I shouldn’t have,” Stephanopoulos told a spokesperson, according to Puck News’ Dylan Byers.
NEW @PuckNews: ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, who recently interviewed Biden and was today caught in TMZ video saying he doesn’t think Biden “can serve four more years,” tells me, via spokesperson: “Earlier today I responded to a question from a passerby. I shouldn’t have.”
In a…
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) July 10, 2024
ABC News quickly rushed to counteract Stephanopoulos’ statement, saying the host expressed his independent viewpoint.
“George expressed his own point of view and not the position of ABC News,” the outlet said. (RELATED: Peter Doocy Confronts Karine Jean-Pierre On Several Signs Of Biden’s Declining Cognitive Health)
Stephanopoulos held an interview with Biden to discuss his notoriously disastrous performance at the June 27 debate and whether he has the cognitive ability to serve four more years and beat former President Donald Trump. The president expressed his intent to stay in the race despite the increased calls for him to drop out by members of his own party.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has not answered concisely on questions relating to frequent doctors’ visits, including a Parkinson’s disease specialist who has reportedly visited the White House eight times in the past year, according to the New York Post.
The president, along with his aides, have asserted that the president suffered from a cold and simply had a “bad night.”
