WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden is hoping a televised interview on Friday will steady his imperiled reelection bid — but a repeat of his disastrous debate performance could be his downfall.

In the week since his debate against Donald Trump — their first head-to-head of the 2024 election cycle — 81-year-old Biden has failed to quell panic among his Democratic Party.

For 90 minutes last Thursday, a raspy Biden struggled to express himself clearly, stumbling over words and losing his train of thought.

A growing chorus in his party has since called for him to prove he has the energy to defeat Trump in November, and handle another four years in the White House.

Despite winning the backing of Democratic governors, who met with him at an emergency meeting on Wednesday, at least three of his party members in Congress have called on him to step aside, as have several major newspaper editorial boards and a raft of political commentators.

The president has said that he is “not leaving” and is “in this race to the end,” but post-debate polls have shown Trump’s narrow lead widening.

Biden has also not yet spoken publicly without a teleprompter since the debate, other than some brief remarks.

So Friday’s interview with ABC presenter George Stephanopoulos, set to be recorded during a campaign trip to Wisconsin, will be a key moment for Biden to dispel the worries and reset expectations.

With soaring anticipation for the interview, ABC has switched up its original plan of airing excerpts through the weekend, and will instead broadcast it in full Friday at 8 p.m.