WASHINGTON. President Joe Biden worked forcefully on Friday to quell Democratic anxieties over his unsteady performance in the debate with former President Donald Trump, as party members rallied around him to shut down talk of replacing him atop the ticket.
Biden’s halting delivery and meandering comments, especially early in the debate, fueled concerns among even his own party members that at age 81, he might not be fit to lead the country for another four years. This created a crisis moment for Biden’s campaign and presidency, as some members flirted with potential replacements, and donors and supporters expressed their concern about his showing against Trump.
Addressing the criticism during a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, Biden acknowledged, “I don’t debate as well as I used to.” He added, “I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done.” Speaking for 18 minutes, Biden was far more animated than he had been the night before, attacking Trump for his “lies” and for running a campaign focused on “revenge and retribution.”
“The choice in this election is simple,” Biden said. “Donald Trump will destroy our democracy. I will defend it.” He added, referring to his candidacy, “When you get knocked down, you get back up.”
Even before the debate, Biden’s age was a concern among voters, and Thursday night’s faceoff appeared to reinforce public worries ahead of the election in four months. Privately, his campaign worked to calm concerns and keep donors and surrogates on board. Democratic lawmakers on Friday acknowledged Biden’s poor performance but sought to shift the focus to Trump’s attacks and falsehoods.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper told The Associated Press, “Well, the president didn’t have a good night, but neither did Donald Trump with lie after lie and his dark vision for America. We cannot send Donald Trump back to the White House. He’s an existential threat to our democracy.”
Former President Barack Obama supported Biden, posting on X (formerly Twitter) that “Bad debate nights happen.” Reflecting on his poor performance in the first debate of his reelection campaign in 2012, Obama added, “Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself.” He emphasized, “Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries firmly responded “no” when asked if Biden should step aside. Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., humorously remarked he “had to take a few more antidepressants than usual” after Biden’s debate performance, but added, “A Donald Trump presidency would cause me far greater discomfort than a Joe Biden debate performance.”
Biden’s campaign highlighted the Raleigh event as the largest rally of his reelection bid in the state Trump narrowly won in 2020. Biden then traveled to New York for a weekend of significant fundraisers, which his campaign needs more than ever. The campaign announced it raised $14 million on debate day and the morning after, while Trump’s campaign reported raising over $8 million from the start of the debate through the end of the night.
Vice President Kamala Harris defended Biden’s performance at a rally in Las Vegas, saying, “This race will not be decided by one night in June. This race will be decided by you. By us. Who sits in the White House next year will be determined by what we together do in these next 130 days.”
Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler confirmed there had been no internal conversations “whatsoever” about Biden stepping aside, though he acknowledged the president had a “bad night” on stage. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., said he received numerous calls after Biden’s poor debate performance, advising, “Being concerned is healthy, overreacting is dangerous.”
Rep. James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat whose support helped Biden secure the nomination four years ago, said he planned to tell Biden, “Stay the course.”
Biden’s team has long bet that voters would prioritize their choice between him and Trump over concerns about his age and unpopularity. Despite worries about Biden’s performance, they took comfort in Trump doing little to expand his appeal to voters on Thursday.
Polls from CNN and 538/Ipsos conducted after the debate found that most viewers thought Trump outperformed Biden. However, both men’s favorability ratings remained largely unchanged.
Democrats highlighted Trump’s equivocation on accepting voters’ will, his refusal to condemn the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters and his support for the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Biden stumbled on abortion rights, a crucial issue for Democrats, failing to explain Roe v. Wade effectively.
Among the few public calls for Biden to step aside was congressional candidate Nancy Boyda in Kansas. Yet, there were no organized efforts among donors, campaign leaders, or the Democratic National Committee to convince Biden to step aside.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, often speculated as a potential replacement for Biden, released a statement supporting him, emphasizing the stark difference between Biden’s and Trump’s visions for America. California Gov. Gavin Newsom also dismissed questions about replacing Biden, saying, “I will never turn my back on him.”
Replacing Biden as the nominee would be difficult under current Democratic Party rules without his cooperation or party officials rewriting the rules at the national convention in August.
Trump was set to hold a rally Friday afternoon in Chesapeake, Virginia, a former battleground now leaning towards Democrats but which his aides believe could flip Republican in November.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
