Since his chaotic performance Thursday night in the debate against Donald Trump, Joe Biden has been under pressure. The American president attended three fundraisers for his campaign on Saturday and tried to reassure the most generous donors, claiming that he was able to win the presidential election.
“I didn’t have a good evening but neither did Trump,” said the Democratic candidate during one of the rallies organized in the states of New York and New Jersey, in the northeast of the United States. “I promise you that we will win this election,” he added.
Biden vows to ‘fight harder’
Jill Biden forcefully defended her 81-year-old husband in the face of calls to withdraw his candidacy, saying “Joe is not only the right person for the job, he is the only person for the job.”
Both traveled to New Jersey on Saturday for a fundraiser in which the state’s Democratic governor, Phil Murphy, was also participating. “I understand your concern after the debate,” declared the American president, saying: “I will fight harder.”
Joe Biden’s candidacy has been the subject of doubts, since his disastrous performance during the debate, between swallowed words, unfinished sentences and haggard expression. His poor performance shook his supporters and caused the media to react.
Obama and Clinton maintain their support
In an editorial, the prestigious American daily New York Times portrayed the current White House incumbent as “a shadow of a leader” after he “failed his own test” in the televised duel. “The greatest public service Mr. Biden could perform today would be to announce that he will not seek reelection,” the editorial board wrote, adding, however, that he has been “an admirable president.”
However, no figure in the Democratic Party has yet rallied the voices calling for him to step down. Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton even reiterated their support for Joe Biden on Friday.
According to a public memo from Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, head of the Democratic candidate’s campaign team, an internal poll after the debate concluded that “voters’ opinions (had) not changed.” Jennifer O’Malley Dillon also says support grew during the debate and afterward. According to her, $27 million was raised Friday evening.
