NEW YORK — With the survival of his candidacy in question, Joe Biden sat down with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos for a critical interview in his political career. The 22-minute sit-down came eight days after Biden’s disastrous debate performance, which saw over 50 million people watch the 81-year-old struggle with basic questions about his campaign.

Biden's team hoped the interview would help rally his party and generate momentum. However, the results were mixed, leaving many unsure if he succeeded.

Pressed repeatedly on whether he would step aside, Biden didn't hint at bowing to party pressure. He only mentioned one possible exception: “If the Lord Almighty comes down and tells me that, I might do that.”

Despite Stephanopoulos presenting data and sentiments from party officials worried about Biden's ability to win, Biden pushed back, saying, “The vast majority are not where those folks are.”

The president performed better than he did on the debate stage, showing flashes of strength as he talked up his record, vowed to stay in the race, and took shots at Donald Trump, whom he repeatedly described as a “pathological liar.” However, the interview had several examples of awkward pauses and garbled words.

Biden struggled to explain whether he was aware of how poorly he performed during the debate in real time. He jumped from his preparation to polling to Trump’s lies during the debate, making it unclear if he rewatched his performance. “I don’t think so,” Biden said.

Regarding his health, Biden called his debate performance “a bad episode,” attributing it to a bad cold. He dismissed concerns about a more serious condition and refused to agree to an independent medical evaluation that included neurological and cognitive tests. “Look, I have a cognitive test every single day,” he said. “Every day I have that test. Everything I do. Not only am I campaigning, but I’m running the world.”

If Biden’s aides picked Stephanopoulos for the president’s first major post-debate interview hoping he might go easy on him, they were wrong. Stephanopoulos peppered Biden with tough questions and blunt truths, albeit with a soft tone.

When Biden suggested he had recently drawn big crowds, Stephanopoulos retorted: “I don’t think you want to play the crowd game. Donald Trump can draw big crowds.” Biden appeared flustered at times, pausing for extra beats when faced with tough questions.

Overall, the interview highlighted Biden's challenges and left doubts unresolved, with more party members likely to call for him to step aside. — Agencies