Campaign

Julián Castro weighs in on Biden’s first post-debate interview: ‘Not good enough’

by Tara Suter - 07/06/24 8:26 AM ET

LILBURN, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 07: Former Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro joins Democrat Jon Ossoff for a campaign event to register Democrats to vote in the January 5th senate runoff election on December 07, 2020 in Lilburn, Georgia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro said President Biden’s interview on ABC Friday was “not good enough.”

“I think the most chilling was when [George] Stephanopoulos asked him, ‘Well, what if you lose to [former President Trump,] then how are you gonna feel?’ and President Biden said, ‘Well, as long as I gave it my all,’ that basically that he would feel ok,” Castro said on “Alex Wagner Tonight” on MSNBC Friday.

“That’s not good enough, for the American people,” Castro continued. “That’s not good enough with the stakes of Donald Trump winning.”

The president’s Friday interview followed a little over a week of anxiety among Democrats in the aftermath of a shaky debate performance last Thursday. Biden sounded raspy and stumbled over his words during the CNN debate, which set off questions among Democrats as to whether he should remain the party’s candidate.

Castro said Biden was “steadier” Friday’s ABC interview “than we saw him in the debate,” but that he is “basically in denial” about issues including “his decline” and poll numbers.

Biden continued to push back on suggestions that he leave the race.

“If the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I’d get out of the race. The Lord Almighty’s not comin’ down,” Biden said during the interview.

Castro is one of a few Democrats who have publicly said the president should leave the 2024 race.

“Joe Biden is a good man and has been a good president,” Castro said on social platform X Tuesday. “But last week’s debate disturbingly demonstrated that he is unable to effectively prosecute the case against Donald Trump — much less inspire and mobilize voters to the polls.”

“Sadly, President Biden is not the campaigner he was in 2020 — and looks very likely to lose to Trump, one of the weakest candidates in presidential history,” he continued. “I am convinced that a number of other Democrats, including Vice President Harris, stand a better chance of winning.”

The White House and Biden allies have pushed back against those who have stated their doubts about the president’s ability to stay in the campaign.

The Hill has reached out to the Biden campaign.