US President Joe Biden has assured Democrat donors that he can still win November's presidential election against Donald Trump, after a poor debate performance fuelled concern about his candidacy. The president, 81, attended a series of fundraising events in New York and New Jersey on Saturday, and defended his performance in CNN's Presidential Debate. Speaking at one event, 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. Mr Biden's debate performance was marked by hard-to-follow and shaky answers - raising fresh fears among some Democrats over whether he is the right candidate to contest this high-stakes election. Speaking to the Katty Kay, former Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi said Mr Biden's debate performance “wasn’t great” - while his former communications director, Kate Bedingfield, called it “really disappointing”.
The president said he understood the concern, but pledged to fight harder. New Jersey's Democratic governor Phil Murphy attended the fundraiser alongside Mr Biden and the First Lady - and told Mr Biden that "we are all with you 1,000%". The Biden campaign accepted that the debate had not gone as they had hoped, but said he would not step aside for another nominee.
Campaign chairwoman Jennifer O'Malley Dillon said on Saturday that internal post-debate polling showed "voters' opinions were not changed". "It will not be the first time that overblown media narratives have driven temporary dips in the polls," she said. Former President Barack Obama, a close friend of Mr Biden, said on social media that "bad debate nights happen". This election is still a choice between someone who fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself," Mr Obama wrote.
Hours after the debate, Mr Trump told his supporters that he considered the debate a "big victory" for his campaign. "Joe Biden's problem is not his age," the 78-year-old Trump said. "It's his competence. He's grossly incompetent." Mr Biden's exhibition was not just reprimanded by those in legislative issues. An unmistakable publication in the New York Times portrayed his assurance to run again as a "careless bet", and encouraged him to do some spirit looking through this end of the week.
It said liberals ought to "recognize that Mr Biden can't proceed with his race, and make a cycle to choose somebody more skilled to remain in his place". Citizens across the US have additionally communicated worries over deciding in favor of either applicant following Thursday's discussion. Long-lasting Liberal Lori Gregory let know that she "was unable to deal with" watching the discussion, and inquired, "is this everything our nation can manage?"
Conservative Precious stone Myers-Hair stylist said it was "difficult to watch", yet added that she thought "Trump ran over extremely practical and official and Biden went over exceptionally feeble." Leftist Shana Ziolko said she was "disappointed" watching the discussion, and thought there was no reasonable champ. A post-banter survey by liberal surveyor Information for Progress viewed that as 62% of likely electors who watched or read about the discussion found Trump won. Just 30% of those surveyed said Mr Biden won the discussion.
Until further surveying is led, gathering pledges could be one more sign of proceeded with energy for Mr Biden's nomination. In a reminder, director Jennifer O'Malley Dillon said the mission had raised more than $27m (£21.3m) from the Thursday discussion to Friday night. "Following Thursday night's discussion, the expressway class is forgetting about Joe Biden. The information in the landmark states, however, recounts an alternate story," she said. "This political decision was unbelievably close before Thursday, and by each measurement we've seen since, it stays comparably close", she added.