Washington: US President Joe Biden on Friday acknowledged his old age and bad performance in the first presidential debate against his predecessor Donald Trump, as his unsteady and stumbling answers heightened concerns among Democrats of a possible defeat in the November elections, but said he intended to defeat his Republican rival.
"I know I'm not a young man, to state the obvious," said Biden at a rally a day after his showdown, which was widely considered a defeat for the 81-year-old President. "I don't walk as easy as I used to, I don't speak as smoothly as I used to, I don't debate as well as I used to," he said, as the crowd chanted "four more years."
"I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done... I know what it'll take to rally the world to stand up against Putin and defend freedom... I would not be running again if I didn't believe with all my heart and soul that I could do this job. The stakes are too high," he added.
Notably, Biden performed underwhelmingly in the presidential debate. He fumbled while advocating his administration's steps and policy initiatives and appeared to have lost his train of thought at some points. Although his allies claimed it to be a result of a cold, Trump took a dig at it while in the debate, which became a topic of discussion on social media.
The first presidential debate ahead of the November elections was thus widely perceived as a defeat for the President, as 67 per cent of the registered viewers who observed the debate on CNN voted that Trump performed better than Biden. The President's performance heightened concerns that he may not be fit to serve another four-year term and some Democrats are now even considering replacing him as their candidate.
Reactions of Obama, fellow Democrats
In a show of support, former US President Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as Vice President, also acknowledged the setback against Trump but said such bad debate nights happen. "Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself," he said on X.
"Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November", Obama added.
Biden's remarks after the debate signal that he is unwilling to drop out of the race. Campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler said there were no conversations taking place about that possibility. "We'd rather have one bad night than a candidate with a bad vision for where he wants to take the country," he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said, “It was a bad night for the president. I don't think he did well in that debate. But I am confident the President and our party can turn it around... And the top of the ticket is very important for down-ballot races, especially in swing districts.”
What did Trump say?
Meanwhile, Trump told supporters at an afternoon rally in Virginia that he had a "big victory against a man looking to destroy our country." He further said Biden's main problem was his competence, not his age. His advisors said they thought the debate would bolster their chances in Democratic-leaning states like Virginia, which has not backed a Republican presidential candidate since 2004.
Trump fundraisers said they were fielding enthusiastic calls from donors. However, concerns over Trump's fitness for office have also arisen over his conviction last month in New York for covering up a hush money payment to a porn star, his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his chaotic term in office.
Regardless, many overseas allies of the Democrats also called Biden's performance a "disaster" and a "shipwreck", calling for him to step aside. The New York Times editorial board, which endorsed Biden in 2020, called on him to drop out of the race to give the Democratic Party a better chance of beating Trump by picking another candidate. "The greatest public service Mr Biden can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election," the editorial said.
(with inputs from agencies)
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