Biden Claims During Debate That He’s ‘Fit to Lead’
Biden REBUTTLES Age Comments
On the day after his decades-long career’s most momentous political performance, President Biden sought to allay Democratic Party fears following his dismal debate performance in his first face-off with former President Trump.
“I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious,” Biden, 81, told roaring fans at a Friday afternoon event in North Carolina, a key battleground state.
“People, I don’t walk as well as I used to. I don’t talk as fluently as I used to. “I don’t debate as well as I used to,” Biden said. “But I understand what I know. I know how to speak the truth. I know the difference between right and wrong. And I understand how to accomplish this work. I understand how to get things done. And, as millions of Americans know, when you’re knocked down, you get back up.”
And, referring to his 2024 rematch with Trump, the president stated, “I would not be running again if I did not believe with all of my heart and soul that I can do this job.”
As Biden sought to calm his party, his team frequently highlighted what it characterized as record-breaking funding during and after the debate, as if to distract attention away from the ugly narrative emerging from the Atlanta confrontation.
Biden’s campaign stated on Friday morning that it raised $14 million between Thursday and Friday morning, citing it as “a sign of the strength of our grassroots support.”
Biden struggled throughout the discussion, speaking with a hoarse voice and offering meandering replies. The president did refine his responses as the discussion proceeded, criticizing his Republican predecessor in the White House for multiple lies during the 90-minute debate.
However, Biden’s poor and, at times, halting performance dominated the debate’s headlines, prompting a new round of calls from political commentators, journals, and some Democrats for the president to step down as the party’s standard-bearer. Top Biden loyalists fought back against such comments, defending the president and accusing Trump of lying throughout the debate.
The Biden campaign also highlighted that the 11 p.m. ET hour Thursday night — one hour after the debate — “was the single best hour of fundraising since the campaign’s launch in April 2023.”
A Biden campaign aide, who requested anonymity to talk freely, told Fox News that the funding is “an important sign that there’s a bit of a disconnect between national narratives and where supporters are.”
Following his rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden proceeded to New York City to launch the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center alongside superstars Elton John and Katy Perry, as well as senior Democratic Party political figures. The ceremonial launch coincided with New York City’s Pride weekend and the 55th anniversary of the historic insurrection that marked a watershed moment for LGBTQ+ rights.