White House: "No way" Biden withdraws from presidential election campaign
Since Biden's appearance at the TV debate with Trump, a discussion among Democrats has arisen over whether they should replace the 81-year-old with another candidate for the Presidential election on November 5. Biden spoke loudly and stammered during the TV debate with Trump, incomplete sentences.
The "New York Times" and CNN reported that Biden told a close friend that he needed to convince the public that he could handle the job. "He knows things look different when he has two more of those events," the friend told the "New York Times" about Biden.
The White House dismissed speculation about Biden stepping down immediately. "He's still running, he's still campaigning," Press Secretary Jean-Pierre said.
Biden himself confirmed this in a call with campaign and party workers. "I'm still in the race and we're going to win, because when Democrats come together, we always win," he said according to campaign sources.
Biden repeated the message at a urgency meeting at the White House with Democratic governors. The "New York Times" and CNN reported on Thursday, citing anonymous sources, that Biden told the governors he needed to sleep more and give up on events after 8 p.m. Some governors reportedly reacted unfavorably to this announcement.
Officially, Biden received backing. "We've said we'll be with him," said Governor Wes Moore of Maryland, who is considered an up-and-coming politician and potential future presidential candidate. Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota, said Biden was "fit" for the job.
A major Democratic campaign donor, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, however, called in the "NYT" for Biden to "step aside, so a vigorous Democratic leader can defeat Trump and take care of our security and prosperity."
CDU foreign policy politician Norbert Röttgen also spoke out. The weak performance at the TV debate against Trump was not "a bungled, cluttered debate," Röttgen said in the ARD, "but it showed his constitution."
Finally, Biden attributed his weakness to fatigue after several foreign trips as an explanation. It was not very smart to travel "multiple times around the world" before the debate, he said.
After his rival Trump initially held back, he declared on Truth Social on Thursday that Biden had "whimpered like a dog" during the TV debate.
In an interview with Civic Media in Wisconsin recorded on Wednesday, Biden said, "I messed up." In an interview with the radio station Wurd in Pennsylvania on Thursday, he said, "I had a bad debate." These 90 minutes, however, did not erase "what I have accomplished in three and a half years."
For Friday, ABC News announced the first television interview with Biden since the TV debate, which is scheduled to be broadcast in full length on Sunday. The 81-year-old intends to travel to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the coming days. Both states are so-called Swing States, in which neither the Democrats nor the Republicans can count on a clear victory and which ultimately determine the outcome of the Presidential election.
- Despite criticisms following his debate performance with Donald Trump, Joe Biden assured his team and Democratic governors at the White House that he's still in the Presidential election campaign and they will win.
- The New York Times reported that Biden discussed his debate performance with a close friend, stating that he needs to convince the public he can handle the job.
- The White House and Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed speculations about Biden stepping down immediately, confirming his continued campaign for the Presidential election.
- Biden's weakness during the debate was attributed to fatigue, as he had made several foreign trips before the event.
- In contrast, some major Democratic figures such as Reed Hastings, a campaign donor, and Norbert Roettgen, a CDU foreign policy politician, urged Biden to consider withdrawing from the Presidential election campaign.
- Biden's rivals, including Donald Trump, criticized his performance during the debate: Trump labeled Biden as 'whimpering like a dog,' while Biden himself admitted 'messing up' and having 'a bad debate'.
- For Friday, Biden will grant his first television interview since the debate, broadcasting it in full length on Sunday, and plans to travel to Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, two crucial Swing States in the Presidential election.
- Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota, also showed support for Biden, declaring him 'fit' for the job in the Presidential election campaign.
