\n
But in response to questions from journalists over the last few weeks, the embattled Democratic president has given some clues as to what could make him step aside \u2014 especially as the calls from his own party to end his candidacy continue unabated.<\/p>\n
Here are the things Biden has cited \u2014 some serious, others not \u2014 that would make him reconsider his run:<\/p>\n
Divine intervention<\/h2>\n
It was a defiant answer that indicated Biden had no intention whatsoever of dropping out.<\/p>\n
During an ABC News interview that marked the first major test of his fitness for office, anchor George Stephanopoulos asked the 81-year-old Biden whether he had convinced himself that only he could defeat his Republican opponent, Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have convinced myself of two things,\u201d Biden said. \u201cI\u2019m the most qualified person to beat him, and I know how to get things done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephanopoulos pressed a little further: \u201cIf you can be convinced that you cannot defeat Donald Trump, will you stand down?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt depends,\u201d Biden responded. \u201cI mean, if the Lord Almighty comes out and tells me that, I might do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cold, hard data<\/h2>\n
No politician ever wants to lose \u2014 and it seems Biden would be willing to exit if he had numerical proof that that\u2019s what would happen.<\/p>\n
In a news conference at the close of the NATO summit in Washington last week, Biden was asked whether he would step aside if aides showed him that Vice President Kamala Harris would be a stronger opponent than he would be against Trump.<\/p>\n
Biden\u2019s initial response was \u201cno,\u201d but then he elaborated.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless they came back and said, \u2018there\u2019s no way you can win.\u2019 Me,\u201d he said. \u201cNo one is saying that. No poll says that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The limited polling available suggests a competitive race with several months before the election. Several polls of voters give Trump a slight advantage, while others show neither candidate with an advantage.<\/p>\n
A fateful accident<\/h2>\n
Biden wasn\u2019t directly asked the hypothetical, but he threw in a new scenario anyway.<\/p>\n
As Speedy Morman, a host on the entertainment network Complex, was wrapping up his interview with Biden last week in Detroit, he had one more closing question for the president: \u201cWe will 1,000 percent \u2014 in your words \u2014 see you on the ballot this November?\u201d<\/p>\n
Quipped Biden: \u201cUnless I get hit by a train, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morman responded: \u201cLet\u2019s hope that doesn\u2019t happen, for your safety\u2019s concern.\u201d<\/p>\n
A not-yet-diagnosed medical ailment<\/h2>\n
Biden spoke with BET journalist Ed Gordon for an interview set to air Wednesday night. During the conversation, Gordon asked Biden if there were any factors that would make him reevaluate his candidacy.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t repeat the other reasons that he had previously listed \u2014 but rather surfaced a new one.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I had some medical condition that emerged,\u201d Biden told Gordon. \u201cIf doctors came to me and said, \u2018you got this problem, that problem.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The health of Biden, the oldest person to be U.S. president, has been scrutinized well before his catastrophic debate performance.<\/p>\n
After his latest physical in February, presidential doctor Kevin O\u2019Connor said Biden \u201cremains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.\u201d A neurological exam, taken more than a month prior, showed no signs of a stroke, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson\u2019s disease, according to O\u2019Connor. The physician also said a cognitive exam was unnecessary.<\/p>\n
Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday while trying to shore up support among disenchanted voters key to his reelection chances. The diagnosis prompted him to cancel a meeting with members of a Latino civil rights organization in the battleground state of Nevada.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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