The US president insists he needs no cognitive tests, given his leadership of the “essential nation”

US President Joe Biden says he has been “running the world” and therefore does not actually need any cognitive tests to prove his fitness for office.

The president made the remarks in an interview with ABC News on Friday, when the 81-year-old was repeatedly pressed by George Stephanopoulos about the growing concerns surrounding his mental and physical condition.Asked whether he has “had a full neurological and cognitive evaluation,” Biden provided a rather incoherent response.

“I’ve had - I get a full neurological test everyday with me. And I’ve had a full physical. I had, you know, I mean, I - I’ve been at Walter Reed [national military medical center] for my physicals. I mean - uhm yes, the answer,” he stated. Pressed further whether he has actually had “specific cognitive tests” and an examination by a trained neurologist, rather than a broader practice doctor, Biden insisted “no one” had told him he actually needed to undergo one. The president dodged the question on whether he would willingly pass such a test and release its results to the public, insisting his work alone proves he is fit enough for office.

“Look. I have a cognitive test every single day. Every day I have that test. Everything I do. You know, not only am I campaigning, but I’m running the world. Not - and that’s not hi -sounds like hyperbole, but we are the essential nation of the world,” he asserted. During the interview, the president also blamed his subpar performance during last week’s debate against Donald Trump on suffering from a “bad cold,” dismissing it as a “bad episode” rather than part of a bigger problem.

The debate debacle has reinvigorated long-running concerns over Biden’s advanced age, as well as declining health. On Friday, a group of 168 high-profile Democratic Party supporters, including major donors and academics, sent a letter to the US president, urging him to drop out of the race, the Washington Post reported, citing anonymous sources.The signees have “respectfully” called on Biden to do so, arguing the move was needed “for the sake of our democracy and the future of our nation,” according to the report. However, Biden has repeatedly pledged to continue pursuing reelection, dismissing any prospects of dropping out amid the mounting criticism of the past few days.