In the wake of a widely criticized debate performance by Joe Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci has stepped forward to offer a “reassuring” perspective on the President’s condition during the event. Despite a more than challenging evening and subsequent dip in polls for Democrats, Fauci claimed that there was nothing medically alarming about Biden’s appearance or behavior during the debate.

Fauci, who has been a central figure in public health across multiple administrations, addressed concerns raised by Biden’s performance. “Did you see the debate? Did anything about that, what you saw medically alarm you?” Fauci was asked during a CBS interview.

Fauci, however, responded with caution, “When you’re just looking at someone on a one-shot basis, you just don’t know what could happen. Did he have a bad cold? You know, did he take an antihistamine to make him… groggy or what have you. We don’t know what went on. I think it would be unfair and inappropriate to try and diagnose something from just a 90-minute clip. It just looked like a bad night.”

Further defending the President, Fauci added, “he’s very reflective on things and just doesn’t jump out with conclusions or anything, but is very analytic, so my interactions with him, I have to say, have been very, very positive.”

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The polls taken after the debate depicted a discouraging scenario for the Democrats, with many viewing Biden’s performance as lackluster compared to Trump’s more aggressive approach. This has ignited discussions within the party about the need for Biden to significantly step up his game to reassure his base and swing voters of his capabilities.

On Wednesday Biden offered his clearest indication yet that he is seriously weighing whether to suspend his campaign for president, a report by the New York Times that prompted a fresh round of hysteria among Democrats who are growing increasingly afraid of a November wipeout.

With each day closing the window for Democrats to find an alternate presidential nominee, Biden told a key ally that he will soon be forced to decide whether he fully commits to completing his campaign or stepping aside so that another candidate may take his place. The ally, speaking on background with the Times, said that much can change in the days ahead, including depending on how the 81-year-old president performs in an upcoming interview he is slated to do with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. He will appear in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania for campaign stops this weekend, as well.

“He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place” by the end of the weekend, the ally said in reference to Biden’s halting and shaky debate performance where he struggled to issue forceful rebukes of claims by former President Donald Trump. His vacant stare and gaping mouth launched a slew of memes in the days that followed and left his campaign on the defense as his team attempts to assure top donors and party leaders that he stands the best chance to defeat Trump.

Shortly after the Times article was published Wednesday morning, Andrew Bates, a White House spokesman, declared the story “absolutely false.” As the election approaches, the Democratic Party and its supporters are likely to scrutinize Biden’s future public appearances and debates closely.

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