President Biden doubled down Friday on his refusal to leave the presidential race — saying “I’m the nominee” and that “I’m running and going to win again” — but at one point mistakenly spoke as if the election year was 2020 as fellow Democrats suggest that he drop out due to perceived senility.
“There’s been a lot of speculation: What’s Joe going to do?” the 81-year-old president said during a speech at a Madison, Wis., campaign rally. “Here’s my answer: I’m running and going to win again.”
“I’m the nominee of the Democratic Party. You voted for me to be your nominee. no one else,” Biden went on. “I will beat [Trump] again in 2020.”
Biden added: “Some folks don’t seem to care who you voted for. They are trying to push me out of the race. Let me say this as clearly as I can: I’m staying in the race.”
The president made the remarks as he seeks to prove he can remain a viable candidate in the aftermath of last Thursday’s debate against Trump — with the president privately acknowledging that he may indeed have to drop out if he’s unable to regain his political footing.
Biden gave the passionate speech — read from teleprompters but delivered with vigor and clarity — shortly before sitting for his first TV interview since appearing dazed and confused at the CNN debate.
What to know about the fallout from President Biden’s debate performance:
- President Biden’s poor performance in the first 2024 presidential debate has left even some Democrats unsure of his fitness for office and future as the party’s candidate.
- Former President Obama admitted that Biden had a “bad” debate, while his rival former President Trump suggested that he was in a “trance” and “choked.”
- Biden told a crowd at a North Carolina rally the day after the debate that he doesn’t “debate as well as I used to” — but insisted that he can still “do this job.”
- The New York Times editorial board called on the president to serve the country by dropping out of the race. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a similar editorial a day later.
- Biden gathered with his family to assess the campaign’s future at Camp David, with his son Hunter reportedly pushing for him to stay in the race. Family members questioned if the president’s top advisors should be fired after the disastrous debate.
- Legendary journalist Carl Bernstein revealed that sources close to Biden have witnessed as many as 20 episodes of cognitive decline in the past year.
- Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) became the first House Democrat to call on Biden to drop out.
The president’s looming interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos will air at 8 p.m. Friday.