President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, June 28, 2024.
US President Joe Biden said on Friday (June 28) that he intends to defeat Republican opponent Donald Trump in the November presidential election. After Biden's poor debate performance disappointed his fellow Democrats, there was no indication that he would consider dropping out of the race.
The day after his head-to-head confrontation with his Republican opponents, Biden jubilantly said at the rally: "I know I'm no longer young, that's obvious." The showdown was widely seen as a defeat for the 81-year-old president.
"I don't walk as easily as I used to, I don't speak as fluently as I used to, and I don't debate as well as I used to," he said, while the crowd chanted "four more years."
"If I hadn't wholeheartedly believed that I could do the job, I wouldn't run again," Biden said. The stakes are too high. ”
Biden's slurred and occasionally rambling answers in the debate have heightened voters' fears that he may not be fit for another four-year term and prompted some of his fellow Democrats to consider whether he could be replaced as a candidate in the Nov. 5 U.S. election.
Campaign spokesman Michael Taylor said that possibility has not been discussed at this time. "We'd rather have a bad night than see a candidate who doesn't have a vision of where the country is headed," he told reporters aboard Air Force One. ”
The Biden campaign held an "all-hands in place" meeting on Friday afternoon to reassure staff that Biden would not drop out of the race, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Although the 78-year-old Trump presented a series of lies throughout the debate, the subsequent focus was on Biden, especially the Democrats.
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, avoided a direct answer when asked if he still believes Biden in the election.
"I'm rooting for this campaign. I support the Senate Democratic majority. We will do everything we can to retake the House of Representatives in November. Thank you all," he told reporters.
When asked if Biden should continue his campaign, other Democrats were similarly opposed. Democratic Senator Jack Reed said on a local Rhode Island television station: "This is the president's decision. ”
The Biden campaign said it raised $14 million on Thursday and Friday and set a record for the highest hour of fundraising after the debate ended Thursday night. The Trump campaign said $8 million was raised on the night of the debate.
One possible bright spot for Biden: Preliminary viewership data shows that only 48 million Americans watched the debate, down from the 73 million who watched the last showdown between the two candidates in 2020.
Biden is already the oldest president in U.S. history, facing only symbolic opposition in the months-long race for the party's nomination, and has garnered enough support to secure his position as the Democratic nominee.
Former President Donald Trump also defeated his party rivals earlier this year, setting the stage for a long and bitter election battle.
Three columnists in the New York Times' left-wing opinion section called on Biden to withdraw from the race.
A Biden donor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called his performance "substandard" and predicted that some Democrats would reconsider calls for him to step down.
That would give the party time to elect another candidate at the National Convention, which begins on August 19 — a potentially chaotic process that could lead to a conflict between Kamala Harris, the first black female vice president of the United States, and candidates for governor and other possible successors.
Democratic Rep. Katie Porter said at a conference in Colorado, "If he makes this decision, then we have to use it to our advantage." ”
Democratic Party officials have downplayed that possibility.
Mitch Landrieu, co-chair of the Biden campaign, said on CNN: "This is unlikely to happen. ”
One campaign staffer, who asked not to be named, said they were disappointed with Biden's performance and hoped it would prompt senior strategists to reconsider their approach.
But other aides and allies have privately said they don't think the negative reactions would threaten his chances of winning the nomination.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other veteran Democrats — including possible successors like California Gov. Gavin Newsom — have said they won't abandon Biden.
"Hold on and calm down," Rep. Jim Claiburn said.
Pending voters say Biden is doing badly tonight
Interviews with voters who have not yet made a decision confirm that it was a bad night for Biden. They described his performance as weak, embarrassing, and unbearable.
The Trump campaign released a video on Friday highlighting Biden's missteps. Spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt said: "Last night the whole world saw who he was. He is not fit to be president. ”
A Republican adviser, who asked not to be named, said the debate would help them compete in Democratic-leaning states like Virginia and Minnesota.
Trump fundraisers said they received warm calls from donors. "Any fundraiser knows that there is a time when donors need to turn to them, and this is a watershed moment," said Ed McMullen, who served as ambassador to Switzerland during Trump's presidency.
Trump supporters lined up hours before the rally in Virginia, and some said they were shocked by Biden's poor performance. "I'm worried that they're going to replace him and then elect someone who is more competitive," said Mike Botman, who said he had attended more than 90 Trump rallies.
Trump, who was convicted last month of covering up hush money payments to stars in New York, and his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as his chaotic tenure, have also raised questions about his suitability for public office.
He will be sentenced on July 11, just days before his party convened a meeting to formally nominate him. He also faces three other criminal charges, though none appear likely to go to trial before November.
On Friday, Biden's poor performance in the debate caused a global shock, with public calls for him to step down, which could lead to some of America's closest allies preparing for Trump's return.