US President Joe Biden has assured Democrat donors that he can still win the presidential election against Donald Trump, following a poor debate performance that has fuelled concerns about his candidacy.
The 81 year old president attended several fundraising events in New York and New Jersey on Saturday, where he defended his performance in CNN’s Presidential Debate. Speaking at one of the events, Mr. Biden admitted, “I didn’t have a great night, but neither did Trump” on Thursday. “I promise you we’re going to win this election,” he said.
The president acknowledged the concerns surrounding his debate performance but pledged to fight harder. New Jersey’s Democratic governor Phil Murphy, who attended the fundraiser alongside Mr. Biden and the first lady, expressed unwavering support, stating, “We are all with you 1,000%.”
Biden’s debate performance against former President Donald Trump was marked by hard-to-follow and shaky answers, raising fresh questions among some Democrats about his viability as a candidate. Former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the BBC’s Katty Kay that Mr. Biden’s debate performance “wasn’t great,” while his former communications director, Kate Bedingfield, called it “really disappointing.”
Despite the criticism, the Biden campaign has affirmed that he will not step aside for another nominee. Campaign chairwoman Jennifer O’Malley Dillon stated that internal post-debate polling showed “voters’ opinions were not changed.” She added, “It will not be the first time that overblown media narratives have driven temporary dips in the polls.”
Former President Barack Obama, a close friend of Mr. Biden, took to social media to offer support, saying, “Bad debate nights happen.” He emphasised, “This election is still a choice between someone who fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself.”
Conversely, Trump declared the debate a “big victory” for his campaign and criticised Mr. Biden as “grossly incompetent.” Trump, 78, remarked, “Joe Biden’s problem is not his age.”
Criticism extended beyond politics, with a New York Times editorial describing Biden’s determination to run again as a “reckless gamble” and urging Democrats to consider another candidate.
Voters across the United States also expressed concerns following the debate. Long-time Democrat Lori Gregory told the BBC she “could not handle” watching the debate and questioned, “Is this the best our country can do?” Republican Crystal Myers-Barber found it “painful to watch” but thought “Trump came across very level-headed and presidential, and Biden came across very weak.” Democrat Shana Ziolko expressed frustration, noting there was no clear winner.
A post-debate poll by liberal pollster Data for Progress found that 62% of likely voters who watched or read about the debate believed Trump won, while only 30% said Mr. Biden won.
In the wake of the debate, fundraising has emerged as a potential indicator of continued enthusiasm for Biden’s candidacy. Chairwoman Jennifer O’Malley Dillon reported that the campaign raised more than $27 million from Thursday’s debate to Friday evening. “Following Thursday night’s debate, the beltway class is counting Joe Biden out. The data in the battleground states, though, tells a different story,” she said. “This election was incredibly close before Thursday, and by every metric we’ve seen since, it remains just as close.”
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