George Stephanopoulos tells random pedestrian that Biden cannot serve another term, then retracts after video hits TMZ

"Good Morning America" anchor George Stephanopoulos had to retract a statement he made about President Joe Biden after commenting to a pedestrian who recorded the interaction.

'I responded to a question from a passerby. I shouldn't have.'

TMZ called it a "stunning" admission made by the former campaign aide to Bill Clinton on Tuesday.

"Do you think Biden should step down? You've talked to him more than anybody else has lately," the pedestrian asked Stephanopoulos.

"I don't think he can serve another four years," he responded simply.

TMZ obtained the footage and published it, which led to Stephanopoulos contacting the outlet to say he should not have made the comment.

"Earlier today, I responded to a question from a passerby. I shouldn't have," he said.

ABC News also distanced itself from his statement.

"George expressed his own point of view and not the position of ABC News," the company said.

'That's not what our polls show.'

Biden subjected himself to an interview by Stephanopoulos after Democrats called for him to step down from the campaign over the debacle of the first presidential debate on CNN. While the questioning was supposed to quell questions about Biden's competence, it only fueled the angst and division in the Democratic Party.

“Do you really believe that you’re not behind right now?” asked Stephanopoulos. “Just when you look at the reality though, Mr. President."

"Well, I don't believe that's my approval rating. That's not what our polls show," said Biden when told he was at 36% approval.

He went on to claim that he was exhausted before the debate and admitted that it was not a good night for his campaign.

The president has since said emphatically that he is not going to leave the race and that he believes he can beat Trump.

"I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Trump," read a statement attributed to Biden.

"I can respond to all this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I wouldn't be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024," he added.

Many polls have shown that Trump has increased his lead over Biden after the horrendous debate. In one poll, a majority of respondents said that Biden should not serve as president over his mental and cognitive deficiencies.

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