Joe Biden is “absolutely not” withdrawing from the White House race, his spokeswoman said Wednesday, amid increasing pressure on the president following his poor debate performance against Donald Trump.
Democrats are in a state of panic after last week’s debate, with internal discussions about finding a replacement candidate before November’s election intensifying as polls show Trump extending his lead.
The New York Times and CNN reported that Biden, 81, had confided to a key ally that his reelection bid was at risk if he didn’t quickly reassure the public of his capability to serve.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed these reports and emphasized that Biden had “absolutely” no plans to withdraw as the Democratic nominee.
“The president is clear-eyed and he is staying in the race,” she told reporters.
Biden admitted during a call with campaign and party staffers that his incoherent, unfocused responses against Trump had hurt him, according to multiple media outlets. However, he insisted he was committed to the race.
“Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can – as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running… no one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win,” the veteran Democrat said, according to Politico.
Aftermath
The Biden campaign has been working to reassure Democratic donors and voters that the president’s performance against Trump was an isolated incident, not a fatal blow to his chances for a second term.
However, party figures have expressed frustration over what they perceive as deflection and excuses from the president and his aides.
In Congress, lawmakers see Democratic prospects of taking over the House of Representatives, retaining the Senate, and winning the White House dwindling.
Concerns were heightened by a New York Times poll conducted after the debate that showed Trump with his biggest lead ever over Biden — 49 percent to 43 percent among likely voters.
It wasn’t until Wednesday – six days after the debate – that Biden completed a round of calls with Democratic congressional leaders, with staffers expressing frustration over the slow pace of the outreach.
“We are getting to the point where it may not have been the debate that did him in, but the aftermath of how they’ve handled it,” a senior Democratic operative told Axios.
Aware of the growing alarm within the party’s grassroots, Biden scheduled a meeting with all 23 Democratic governors on Wednesday evening and plans to visit the swing states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the coming days.
He may face a test of his ability to think on his feet and articulate a coherent vision when he sits down with ABC News on Friday for his first interview since the debate.
