New crucial day for Biden's political survival

A meeting, an interview à high risk, an aggressive campaign program… Joe Biden continued Friday à fight for political survival.

Questioned from afar by journalists to know if he was still capable of beating Donald Trump in November, the 81-year-old Democrat simply said “Yes”, before flying to Wisconsin (north ), a state which will be decisive for the election.

The American president knows that from now on every gesture, every intonation counts to reassure his supporters, whose anxiety has not subsided since his completely failed debate on June 27 against his Republican predecessor.

“We will turn the page, we will move forward,” promised White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre.

Since this televised duel , Americans did not see Joe Biden speaking freely without a teleprompter and over an extended period of time.

US President Joe Biden on July 4, 2024 at the White House in Washington © AFP – Mandel NGAN

He will have the opportunity on Friday, in an interview with a journalist and star presenter of ABC, George Stephanopoulos, which will be recorded in Wisconsin.

– Wisconsin –

Joe Biden will also have to demonstrate his energy during the rally planned in Madison, Wisconsin, in this state that he won by only 20,682 votes against Donald Trump in 2020.

“I have no intention of leaving,” he assured Thursday during the celebration of Independence.

US President Joe Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris on the balcony of the White House on Independence Day on July 4, 2024 in Washington © AFP – Mandel NGAN

His campaign team is increasing its ardor. She published on Friday an intense battle plan for the month of July providing for a blitz of television spots, trips to all key states, and particularly to the southwest of the country during the Republican convention (July 15-18).

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Joe Biden is also due to host a summit of NATO leaders next week, and will give a press conference on this occasion, again an exercise highly anticipated.

Donald Trump chose Thursday to shoot his arrows against Vice-President Kamala Harris, until now a co-list with unfailing loyalty, but who would obviously be a potential candidate in the event of the withdrawal of the American president.

“With her insatiable thirst for power, Kamala did everything possible to hide the state of health of +Joe the crook+ to the American people,” wrote a campaign spokesperson for the 78-year-old Republican billionaire.

Proof that Friday's interview is crucial, the television channel has disrupted its broadcast schedule.

ABC originally planned to show excerpts on Friday, then Saturday, for a full broadcast on Sunday.

– Special broadcast –

Journalist George Stephanopoulos during a public discussion in New York, September 12, 2023 © Getty – Roy Rochlin

But it is finally from Friday evening, at 8:00 p.m. local time (midnight GMT) that viewers will be able to see the interview in its entirety, as part of a special broadcast.

Joe Biden will face journalist George Stephanopoulos, who knows the ins and outs of political communication like no other since he worked closely with former Democratic President Bill Clinton, on the campaign trail and in the White House.

If he comes out of this exercise honorably, the American president will not be saved, but if he shows himself as hesitant and confused as he did in the face of his Republican rival last week, his candidacy for a second term will hang by a thread.

Disturbing revelations are now one after the other in the American press.

< p>The Axios site said on Friday that Joe Biden sometimes struggles to find the names of people he has known for a long time.

Joe Biden's teams swept aside this information which has, until now, always been provided anonymously, while attacking the media and in particular their current bete noire, the New York Times.

“Imagine for a second that the New York Times attacks Trump's fascism with as much vigor as Biden's age,” wrote a supporter of the American president on X, in a message then relayed by an executive from his campaign team .

The editorial board of the prestigious daily called on Joe Biden to withdraw from the race for the White House.

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