US President Joe Biden has admitted his performance in last week’s debate against Donald Trump was below expectations, but has vowed to fight on in the election race and moved to reassure key allies.
He told a radio station in Wisconsin he made a “mistake” with his stumbling performance, but urged voters not to rate him by his debate performance but by his time in the White House.
On Wednesday, as reports went round that he was consideriing his future, he worked to calm top Democrats including state governors and campaign staff.
“I’m the nominee of the Democratic Party. No one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving,” he said in a call to the broader campaign, a source told BBC News.
President Biden was joined on the call by Vice-President Kamala Harris, who reiterated her support.
Speculation has mounted over whether she could replace the president as the party’s candidate ahead of the November election.
A fundraising email sent after the call by the Biden-Harris campaign was also bullish. “Let me say this as clearly and simply as I can: I’m running,” Mr Biden said.
There have been mounting concerns whether the aging president will continue with his campaign following a debate which was characterized by verbal blanks and a weak voice.
It generated concerns in the rank of Democrats around his fitness for office and his ability to win the election.
Pressure on Biden to drop out has increased as more polls suggest his Republican rival’s lead has widened.
A New York Times poll conducted after the debate, which was published on Wednesday, suggested Trump was now holding his biggest lead yet at six points.
In a separate poll published by the BBC’s US partner CBS News, Trump had a three-point lead over Biden in the crucial battleground states.
Source: BBC News
