U.S. President Joe Biden worked aggressively on Friday to calm Democrats’ anxiety over his shaky performance in a debate with former President Donald Trump the previous day, while elected members of his party rallied behind him to try to quell speculation that he could be replaced as the nominee.
Biden’s hesitations and ramblings, especially early in the debate, stoked concerns even among members of his party that at 81 years old he is not up to the task of leading the country for another four years. It created a moment of crisis for Biden’s campaign team and his presidency, as members of his party flirted with possible replacements, and donors and supporters could not contain their concern about his performance. against Trump.
Biden appeared to acknowledge the criticism during a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, saying, “I don’t debate as well as I used to.” But, he added, “I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done.” Speaking for 18 minutes, Biden seemed much more animated than he had the night before as he criticized Trump for his “lies” and for running a campaign aimed at “revenge and reckoning.”
“The choice in this election is simple,” Biden said. “Donald Trump will destroy our democracy. I will defend it.”
And he added, referring to his candidacy: “When you are knocked down, you get up.”
Even before the debate, Biden’s age had been a concern for voters, and Thursday night’s showdown seemed to reinforce those concerns before perhaps the largest audience he will get in the four months until Election Day.
Privately, his campaign team worked to quell concerns and keep donors and supporters on board. Democratic lawmakers on Friday acknowledged Biden’s poor performance but sought to quell speculation that they will replace him as their standard-bearer, instead directing attention to Trump’s attacks and lies.
“Well, the president did not have a good night, but neither did Donald Trump with lie after lie and his dim vision for America,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper told The Associated Press on Friday, hours before he was to introduce the president in Raleigh. “We cannot send Donald Trump back to the White House. He is an existential threat to our nation.”
Former President Barack Obama endorsed his former vice president, posting on X: “Bad debate nights happen.” Alluding to his own poor performance in the first debate of his 2012 re-election campaign, Obama continued: “Trust me, I know. But this election is still a decision between a person who has fought for the common people his entire life and someone who only thinks about himself.”
“None of that changed last night, and that is why there is so much at stake in November,” he added.
