President Joe Biden announced on Friday that he plans to defeat his Republican rival, Donald Trump, in the upcoming November presidential election. Biden showed no signs of stepping down from the race despite a weak debate performance that concerned many Democrats.
Speaking at a rally a day after a debate that many saw as a loss for the 81-year-old president, Biden admitted, “I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious.” He continued, “I don’t walk as easy as I used to; I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to; I don’t debate as well as I used to.” However, he emphasized, “I would not be running again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul that I could do this job. The stakes are too high.”
Biden’s debate performance, marked by verbal slips and wandering answers, raised concerns among voters about his ability to serve another four-year term. This led some Democrats to wonder if they could find a new candidate for the November 5 U.S. election. However, campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler dismissed these concerns, stating, “We’d rather have one bad night than a candidate with a bad vision for where he wants to take the country.”
An “all-hands-on-deck” meeting was held by Biden’s campaign team on Friday to reassure staff that Biden was not dropping out of the race, according to insiders. Despite the debate’s outcome, former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama voiced their continued support for Biden. Obama tweeted, “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and somebody who only cares about himself.”
The New York Times editorial board, which endorsed Biden in 2020, suggested he step aside to give the Democratic Party a better chance against Trump by choosing another candidate. However, Biden’s campaign reported raising $14 million on Thursday and Friday, including the best hour of fundraising right after the debate.
Trump’s campaign claimed to have raised $8 million on the night of the debate. Despite Trump’s misleading statements during the debate, attention afterward was mainly on Biden, especially among Democrats. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries avoided directly addressing his faith in Biden’s candidacy, while Democratic Senator Jack Reed said, “That’s the president’s decision.”
If Biden were to step down, the Democratic Party would have less than two months to select another nominee at the national convention starting August 19. This could involve potential replacements like Vice President Kamala Harris or other governors and officeholders.
At a rally in Chesapeake, Virginia, Trump told supporters he had a “big victory against a man looking to destroy our country,” stating, “Joe Biden’s problem is not his age. It’s his competence.”
Trump’s fitness for office has also been questioned due to his recent conviction in New York for covering up a hush money payment and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He is set to be sentenced on July 11 and faces three other criminal indictments, though none are expected to go to trial before November.