Joe Biden is “absolutely not” pulling out of the White House race, his spokeswoman said Wednesday, as pressure mounted on the president following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump.
Panic has gripped Democrats in the wake of last week’s TV debate, and internal rumblings about finding a replacement candidate before November’s election have been amplified by polls showing Trump extending his lead.
Biden, 81, had acknowledged to a key ally that his reelection bid was on the line if he failed to quickly reassure the public that he was still up to the job.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre rejected those reports outright and insisted Biden had no intention of withdrawing as the Democratic nominee.
“The president is clear-eyed and he is staying in the race,” she told reporters.
In a call with campaign and party staffers, Biden insisted he was in the race for the long haul.
“I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win because when Democrats unite, we will always win. Just as we beat Donald Trump in 2020, we’re going to beat him again in 2024,” he said, according to a source close to the campaign.
He has repeatedly admitted he performed poorly in the debate and was blunt in a radio interview recorded Wednesday with Wisconsin’s Civic Media.
“I screwed up. I made a mistake. That’s 90 minutes on stage. Look at what I’ve done in 3.5 years,” he said.
