Biden’s ‘make or break’ interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopolous could last just 15 minutes

Joe Biden’s make-or-break interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopolous appears poised to fall short in more ways than one – given the president has reportedly set aside only around 15 minutes for the hotly-anticipated chat.

Biden is set to sit down with the news anchor in Wisconsin on Friday, with parts of the interview airing first on Friday’s edition of World News Tonight, before airing in full on an 8pm primetime special and again on This Week on Sunday.

But according to The Daily Beast, Stephanopolous could get as little as 15 minutes with the president, who is attempting to claw back support after a disastrous debate performance last week.

Sources told the outlet that there is “deep concern inside ABC News’ upper echelons” about the length of the interview, which is supposed to offer insight into the president’s mental state and capability to continue on the Democratic party’s ticket.

Meanwhile, another source said that the interview could last around 20 minutes, with senior network figures involved in calls on Wednesday to prepare questions for the shortest possible time in case attempts to speak with the president for longer failed.

ABC News has not publicly specified how long the interview will be.

The Biden campaign denied the suggestion that the interview would be just 15 minutes, with a White House spokesperson telling The Daily Beast: “False. The interview will be longer.”

A previous The Associated Press report described the interview as an “extended” encounter between Biden and Stephanopolous.

Sources close to Biden told the Politico Playbook newsletter that the president is “preparing for tough questions” in Friday’s interview and is determined to present himself as sharp, alert and able to deal with