Following a disastrous debate performance against President Trump, Joe Biden's top surrogates and aides moved quickly on Friday to quash rumors that he might exit the reelection race.
The debate, hosted by CNN, prompted immediate reactions from Democratic operatives and political pundits, sparking panic within the party and discussions about Biden’s continued viability as a candidate.
Biden’s debate performance drew criticism, even from some within his own party, who acknowledged it could fuel conversations about whether he should be replaced before the Democratic convention in August. Throughout the 90-minute debate, Biden started off slowly, often had a raspy voice—which the White House attributed to a cold—and constantly lost his train of thought, struggled to finish sentences, or had difficulty articulating his points.
A campaign official dismissed any notion of Biden withdrawing from the race, while prominent Democrats who are seen as potential successors worked to silence any talk of replacing him.
“I think it’s unhelpful, and I think it’s unnecessary,” California Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential White House contender, said on MSNBC late Thursday night. “We’ve got to go in, we’ve got to keep our head high, and, as I say, we’ve got to have the back of this president. You don’t turn your back because of one performance.”
On Friday morning, the White House, which usually refers 2024 campaign matters to the campaign team, addressed the growing chatter about Biden potentially dropping out. Some Democrats argued that changing the top of the ticket at this stage would be impractical, particularly because it would require Biden's agreement to step down—something he has shown no interest in doing.
A Biden campaign official also stated that he is not quitting his reelection bid despite a poor debate performance the previous night.
“Of course he's not dropping out,” said Biden campaign spokesperson Seth Schuster in a text message.
During a stop at a Waffle House following the debate, Biden also dismissed speculation over whether he should bow out of the race. “No,” he said, according to The Hill newspaper. “It’s hard to debate a liar. The [liars at] New York Times pointed out Trump lied 26 times.”
