Biden's 2 interviews proved exactly why Democrats are still worried

• Joe Biden's recent interviews have highlighted the weaknesses Democrats are worried about.
• Biden stumbled over words and seemed defensive about his performance in the 2024 race.

President Joe Biden's performance in two new interviews this week likely won't do much to quell Democrats' fears about his fitness for the job.

And compared with Donald Trump's projections of strength after Saturday's assassination attempt, Biden may be looking even weaker to Democrats who fear their candidate will lose in November.

In an interview with NBC News' Lester Holt on Monday, Biden appeared feeble and soft-spoken, and at times he couldn't seem to finish his train of thought.

At one point, Holt asked Biden about his recent statement that it was time to put Trump in the "bull's-eye."

In response, Biden said he "didn't say crosshairs," appearing to confuse the word Holt had asked about.

Biden also repeatedly snapped at Holt, expressing frustration with the media's coverage of his debate performance. "What's with you guys?" he said at one point. "Come on, man."

In an interview with Complex that was recorded on Friday but aired on Monday, Biden spoke slowly and softly and gave rambling and long-winded answers.

When asked what Biden would say to voters who've decided to pick Trump, the president responded, "Lots of luck in your senior year" — an idiom Biden has used repeatedly but has puzzled viewers.

While Biden's appearance in these interviews was nowhere near as disastrous as his June 27 debate against Trump, he didn't exactly hit it out of the ballpark.

Biden's allies praised his combative stance with the media and polling as evidence of his vigor. But his unsteady interviews can't rest easy with the growing contingent of Democrats who have been calling on Biden to drop out of the race.

Though the push for Biden to step aside has largely paused in the aftermath of Saturday's violence, it hasn't been put to rest.

Newsweek reported on Monday that Democratic Party insiders and strategists were not only still concerned about Biden's campaign but increasingly worried that the attempt on Trump's life would only make him look stronger to voters compared with Biden.

Voters, too, are growing increasingly skeptical of Biden's ability to beat Trump and serve another term.

A survey conducted on Monday by Morning Consult suggests the number of Democratic voters who say Biden should be replaced as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has ticked up in recent weeks. In this survey, 48% said Biden should be replaced on the ticket, and 43% said he should not — up from 47% and 41% of Democratic voters polled after the debate.

Those numbers were even more dramatic among Black and Hispanic voters, two of the most important groups to Biden's reelection coalition. When polled on Monday, 55% of Black voters and 64% of Hispanic voters said Biden should be replaced, compared with 48% and 58% who said so on June 28.

But Biden is swearing to press on. The Rev. Al Sharpton, a close ally, backed the president in a statement posted Monday evening on X, just before Biden's NBC interview.

"Just got a call from @POTUS Joe Biden, he says that he is not going anywhere," Sharpton wrote. "He would like people to know that he called and he's determined to fight to protect our rights."