Biden says he'd drop out of the presidential race for these 4 reasons
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden has repeatedly said that he will not be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race despite calls from his own party to end his candidacy.
While the Democratic president has said he is "one thousand percent" staying in the presidential race, he has offered some clues as to what could make him step aside –
Here are four reasons Biden has citied – some serious, others not – that could make him reconsider running in the election.
If Biden was convinced he could not beat Trump
During a recent ABC News interview, Biden aimed to salvage his reelection campaign, calling his poor debate performance earlier this month a "bad episode" with "no indications of any serious condition."
Anchor George Stephanopoulos asked the 81-year-old Biden whether he had convinced himself that only he could defeat his Republican opponent, Donald Trump.
President Joe Biden speaks at an event marking the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in the East Room at the White House on June 18, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
"I have convinced myself of two things," Biden said. "I’m the most qualified person to beat him, and I know how to get things done."
Stephanopoulos pressed a little further: "If you can be convinced that you cannot defeat Donald Trump, will you stand down?"
"It depends," Biden responded. "I mean, if the Lord Almighty comes out and tells me that, I might do that."
A medical ailment
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.
"If I had some medical condition that emerged," Biden told Gordon. "If doctors came to me and said, ‘you got this problem, that problem.’"
Biden vows to stay in presidential race
After two major flubs by President Biden in speeches on Thursday, members of the Democratic Party have increased their calls for Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race in favor of a younger candidate. LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow spoke with Axios political reporter, Erin Doherty for full analysis.
On Wednesday, Biden tested positive for COVID-19.
The information was confirmed by a speaker at the UnidosUS annual conference broadcast on the White House's YouTube channel.
RELATED: Biden tests positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms, will self isolate
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden would fly to his home in Delaware, where he will "self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time."
Data to prove Biden would lose
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.
Biden's initial response was "no," but then he elaborated.
"Unless they came back and said, ‘there’s no way you can win.' Me," he said. "No one is saying that. No poll says that."
RELATED: Democrats on Biden's future: Two-thirds prefer a new nominee, poll shows
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.
However, another new survey shows that nearly two-thirds of Democrats say Biden should withdraw from the race and let his party nominate a different candidate.
The survey by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research also found that only about 3 in 10 Democrats are "extremely" or "very confident" that he has the mental capability to serve effectively as president.
A fateful accident
Biden wasn't directly asked the hypothetical, but he threw in a new scenario anyway.
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: "We will 1,000 percent — in your words — see you on the ballot this November?"
Quipped Biden: "Unless I get hit by a train, yeah."
Morman responded: "Let's hope that doesn't happen, for your safety's concern."
What Biden is saying
President Biden has conceded the debate didn’t go well for him, but has maintained he is ready to fight for a second term as president.
He has insisted that he is fit to serve another term and is publicly urging his supporters to stay unified. On Sunday, at a public appearance in Pennsylvania, he said that he feels the most optimistic he’s ever felt about America’s future.
On Monday, he sent a letter to Hill Democrats insisting he’s "declining" to step aside and said it’s time for the party drama "to end."
This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press contributed.