JOE Biden has planned to discuss his re-election future with his family this weekend after a disastrous presidential debate.
Following his rocky performance on Thursday, the president has received backlash and concern from both parties.
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Though his trip to Camp David late Saturday was planned before the debate, Biden plans to discuss his future with First Lady Jill Biden, their children, and grandchildren, according to NBC News.
Biden continues to receive support from former presidents, including Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, who posted to X after the debate.
However, other members of the Democratic party described the debate as an “unmitigated disaster”, “a meltdown”, and “a slow-motion car crash.”
There have reportedly been conversations among other government figures about Biden’s standing in the White House, but no public stance has been taken.
A spokesperson for former House speaker Nancy Pelosi made a statement on her behalf denouncing any rumors of doubt.
“Speaker Pelosi has full confidence in President Biden and looks forward to attending his inauguration on January 20, 2025,” spokesperson Ian Krager said, per NBC News.
“Any suggestion that she has engaged in a different course of action is simply not true.”
Christie Stephenson, a spokeswoman for Representative Hakeem Jeffries said he has “repeatedly made clear publicly and privately that he supports President Joe Biden and the Democratic ticket from top to bottom,” according to NBC News.
Representative Jim Clyburn, who is campaigning in Wisconsin for Biden this weekend, said he “has total confidence in President Joe Biden and the Biden-Harris ticket,” according to spokesperson Brianna Frias, reported by NBC News.
“Any reports alleging that the Congressman has expressed anything other than firm support of President Biden are completely untrue,” Frias added.
“IT WAS CRUSHING”
Viewers were shocked by Biden’s performance on Thursday.
He did very little to prove he was still capable of staying in office or dismiss claims of being too old or “sleepy.”
The debate was watched by people and officials all over the world.
Ukraine’s foreign affairs chairman Oleksandr Merezhko recalled waking up to watch it unfold.
What are Trump and Biden’s platforms?
A look at what issues matter most to the candidates.
Biden’s talking points:
- The importance of democracy after the January 6 attack on the Capitol
- Advocate for abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with a 6-3 judgment in 2022
- His Build Back Better plan, the $2.2 trillion infrastructure spending bill introduced in 2021
- Support for Ukraine and Israel while they are at war
- Highlight the strong US economy and low unemployment rates during his presidency
Trump’s talking points:
- Slam issues at the US-Mexico border, which was a critical talking point for his 2016 win
- Criticize the slew of criminal and civil lawsuits filed against him
- Applaud the Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- Discuss a plan to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, although he hasn’t said which country he wants to win
- Advocate for parents’ rights to regulate and restrict discussion of gender, sexuality, and race in schools
“I woke up at 4 in the morning, Ukrainian time, specifically to watch because, you know, it’s not about elections only in the United States. It’s about [the] election of the most powerful person, on whom the fate of Ukraine also depends,” Merezhko told the Washington Examiner.
However, it was not what he expected.
“It was crushing,” he lamented.
During the debate, Biden was hard to understand due to his hoarse voice and on multiple occasions seemed to freeze and stare off on stage.
At one point, former president Donald Trump even reacted to Biden’s speech after receiving a incomprehensible response.
“I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence,” Trump said during the debate.
“I don’t think he knows what he said either.”
He struggled to think quick on his feet, only landing one mediocre jab in Trump’s direction, rambled on, and had a hard time thinking of facts to enhance his arguments.
Biden looked and acted like an old, tired, and feeble man, per NBC affiliate MSNBC.
BIDEN’S RESPONSE
The day after the debate, Biden quickly addressed the comments.
“I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious,” Biden said to a crowd in North Carolina on Friday.
“Folks, 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.
“But I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth, I know right from wrong.”
He also said he knows how to “do this job” and how to “get things done”.
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The White House made a statement about the president’s health as well.
It said he was suffering from a cold, according to The Hill.
Another source told the outlet: “He has a cold, started slow but obviously had started to hit his stride.”
However, viewers did not believe the White House’s explanation for Biden’s performance.
On Saturday, Anita Dunn, one of Biden’s closest advisers, said the president had not discussed dropping out of the race with his aides.
Instead, he continues to think about how to move forward.
“We had a bad debate,” Dunn reflected to MSNBC.
“What do we do next? You know, the president, above all, is focused on what do we do next? What do I need to go do?”
His campaign had a conference with the Democratic National Committee on Friday.
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It was an attempt to reassure the party that Biden’s team is in communication with its allies, per a Biden campaign official, according to NBC News.
“We’re driving this,” the official said.
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