President Joe Biden claimed on Sunday that America is back because “everyone sought” him “out” at the G20 in Rome over the weekend as world leaders discussed climate change.
“Here in Rome, you’ve tried to showcase that America is back, but back at home, your poll numbers have fallen,” the Associated Press’ Zeke Miller said. “Your party’s nominee for governor of Virginia is facing a very tough — a tougher-than-expected race. Your party spent months trying to negotiate the centerpiece of your Democrat — of your domestic legislative agenda.”
“So why should the world believe that when you say ‘America is back,’ that really it’s here to stay?” Miller asked.
“Because of the way they reacted. You were here. They listened. Everyone sought me out,” Biden claimed. “They wanted to know what our views were. And we helped lead what happened here. It’s just very simple: You know, if you’re honest — you are honest; I didn’t mean to imply you weren’t — but that we were — we got significant support here. Significant support. We’re the most — the United States of America is the most critical part of this entire agenda, and — and we did it.”
“And, by the way, look, the polls are going to up and down and up and down. They were high early, then they got medium, then they went back up, and now they’re low,” Biden said, later adding, “But I’m not running because of the polls.”
WATCH:
Pres. Biden downplays falling poll numbers: “The polls are gonna go up and down and up and down…Look at every other president, the same thing has happened. That’s not why I ran. I didn’t run to determine how well I’m gonna do in the polls.” https://t.co/anMzbHcfB0 pic.twitter.com/x9auut4mXW
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 31, 2021
TRANSCRIPT:
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT: And now I’m happy to take some questions. And I’m told I should start with AP, Zeke Miller. Zeke, you have a question?
ZEKE MILLER, REPORTER: Thank you, Mr. President.
BIDEN: I didn’t recognize you with the maks [sic] on — mask on. I apologize.
MILLER: Thank you, Mr. President. Here in Rome, you’ve tried to showcase that America is back. But back at home, your poll numbers have fallen. Your party’s nominee for governor of Virginia is facing a very tough — a tougher-than-expected race. Your party spent months trying to negotiate the centerpiece of your Democrat — of your domestic legislative agenda.
We’re one year now since your election. What — and you have done a lot in your year in office to try to turn the page on the last administration. But we’ve seen how presidents can turn the page very quickly from one to the other. So why should the world believe that when you say “America is back,” that really it’s here to stay?
BIDEN: Because of the way they reacted. You were here. They listened. Everyone sought me out. They wanted to know what our views were. And we helped lead what happened here.
It’s just very simple: You know, if you’re honest — you are honest; I didn’t mean to imply you weren’t — but that we were — we got significant support here. Significant support. We’re the most — the United States of America is the most critical part of this entire agenda, and — and we did it.
And, by the way, look, the polls are going to up and down and up and down. They were high early, then they got medium, then they went back up, and now they’re low.
Well, look, this is — look at every other president; the same thing has happened. But that’s not why I ran. I didn’t run to determine how well I’m going to do in the polls. I ran to make sure that I followed through on what I said I would do as President of the United States.
And I said that I would make sure that we were in a position where we dealt with climate change; where we moved in a direction that would significantly improve the prospects of American workers being able to have good jobs and good pay; and further, that I would make sure that we dealt with the crisis that was caused by COVID. We’ve done all of those; we continue to do them. And we’ll see what happens.
But I’m not running because of the polls.