WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — President Joe Biden has no intention of dropping out of the 2024 race after Thursday’s debate showed the candidate’s repeated verbal stumbling, a source familiar with the matter has confirmed to NewsNation.
The source also confirmed the Biden campaign has not discussed avoiding another debate. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Friday that Biden was “committed” to participating in the second debate in September.
During a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, Biden acknowledged his lackluster showing against former President Donald Trump.
“Folks, 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,” he said.
Biden’s halting delivery and meandering comments, particularly early in the debate, fueled concerns from even members of his own party that, at age 81, he is not up for the task of leading the country for another four years.
Biden was greeted early Friday in Raleigh by throngs of supporters invited by his campaign to watch Air Force One carry him from the debate in Atlanta, where he brushed aside Democratic concerns with his showing that he should consider stepping aside, saying, “No, it’s hard to debate a liar.”
First lady Jill Biden on Friday defended her husband’s debate performance while targeting Trump.
“What you saw last night on the debate stage was Joe Biden, a president with integrity and character, who told the truth, and Donald Trump told lie after lie after lie,” she said.
Democratic lawmakers acknowledged Biden’s poor showing but tried to stop talk of replacing him as their standard-bearer. Instead, they tried to shift the focus onto Trump’s attacks and falsehoods, which they hoped would remind voters of the daily turbulence of his presidency.
“Well, the president didn’t have a good night, but neither did Donald Trump with lie after lie and his dark vision for America,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said on Friday, hours before he shared a stage with the president in Raleigh. “We cannot send Donald Trump back to the White House. He’s an existential threat to our nation.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries answered with a flat “no” when asked Friday if Biden should step aside. But the New York lawmaker added that he’s eager to see how Biden would address his performance at his Friday rally.
“I’m looking forward to hearing from President Biden,” he said. “And until he articulates a way forward in terms of his vision for America at this moment, I’m going to reserve comment about anything relative to where we are at this moment other than to say I stand behind the ticket.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.