ABC’s George Stephanopoulos admits Biden can’t serve 4 more years after dud interview

TMZ caught up with George Stephanopoulos on the streets of New York and asked him what he really thought of Joe Biden after interviewing the president last week. "What do you think? Do you think Biden should step down? You've talked to him more than anyone else lately." Stephanopoulos, walking down the street while looking at his phone, said candidly, "I don't think he can serve four more years."

After TMZ shared the footage and ran a story on the encounter, Stephanopoulos reached out to the gossip site and said he should not have offered that commentary to their man-on-the-street reporter. "Earlier today," he said, about TMZ, "I responded to a question from a passerby. I shouldn't have." And ABC weighed in as well, saying "George expressed his own point of view and not the position of ABC News."

Biden sat down with Stephanopoulos on Friday in Wisconsin in an attempt to assuage fears that he was unfit to serve following his miserable debate performance against Donald Trump in Atlanta on June 27. At the debate, Biden looked every bit his 81 years. He froze, looked confused, had trouble answering questions, could not complete sentences, and at times got suddenly angry, while still not making much sense.

The White House hurried to do damage control, saying Biden had "a bad night," but that he was otherwise totally fine. During the interview with Stephanopoulos, which aired on Friday night after an afternoon pre-taping, Biden claimed the debate had merely been "a bad episode," and that he'd been ill leading up to the debate. Biden also declined to have an independent medical exam. 

When Stephanopoulos brought up the issue of his polling numbers, which have continued to slide since the debate, Biden said "I don't believe that's my approval, that's not what our polls show." 

Stephanopoulos asked Biden what he would do if he loses to Trump in the general election after running in an election that many in his own party are calling for him to step away from. For Biden, it would be all about how he'd run the race. 

"I'll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did the goodest job I know I can do, that's what this is about. Look George, think of it this way. You've heard me say this before, I think the United States and the world is at an inflection point," he said.

Weighing in on the matter on The Daily Show on Monday night, Jon Stewart screamed "That's not what this is about! There are no participation trophies in endgame democracy."