Former Obama adviser laments Biden's ABC interview: 'Denial. Delusion. Defiance.'

President Biden and David Axelrod (Left:  Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images, Right:  (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images))

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod called out President Biden for his post-debate interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos and accused him of "denial, delusion and defiance."

"Biden could be excused for wanting to put his awful debate performance in the rear view mirror. That was his purpose Friday in sitting down for the interview —  to try and quell the panic that has gripped the Democratic Party," Axelrod wrote in a CNN op-ed. "He didn’t succeed."

Biden told Stephanopoulos on Friday that he was the best person to beat Donald Trump in November and that he would only drop out if the "Lord Almighty" came down and told him to. 

The political operative wrote, "Denial. Delusion. Defiance." The headline to the piece read, "Biden’s defiant delusion." 

"The stakes are as great as Biden describes. And if he believes it, as I think he does, he will eventually do what duty and love of country requires, and step aside," Axelrod said. 

"If he does not, it will be Biden’s age, and not Trump’s moral and ethical void, that will dominate the rest of this most important campaign and sully the president’s historic legacy," Axelrod wrote.