LAST UPDATE | 28 Jun
JOE BIDEN HAS taken aim at Donald Trump in his first remarks since his performance at a live presidential debate last night, which caused representatives in the American Democratic Party to call for him to consider stepping aside.
The debate saw a raspy and sometimes halting Biden repeatedly try to confront Trump, but his uneven performance crystallised the concerns of many Americans that, at 81, he is too old to serve as President.
At a rally in North Carolina this afternoon, however, the US President gave a more lively performance which saw him criticise Trump’s record in the White House and make light of his age.
“I know I’m not a young man,” he told a crowd of people who often broke out into chants of ‘four more years’, sometimes to mask heckles.
“I don’t walk as easy as I used to, I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth.”
Vowing to stay in the race, he said: “I know right from wrong, and I know how to get things done, and I know what millions of Americans know: when you get knocked down you get back up.”
Criticising his opponent, he repeated a line from last night’s debate, saying: “Now folks, I don’t know what you did last night, but I spent 90 minutes on stage debating a guy who has the morals of an alley cat.”
When I thought about his 34 felony convictions, his sexual assault on a woman in a public place, his being signed $400 million for business fraud, I thought to myself: Donald Trump isn’t just a convicted felon. Donald Trump is a one man crime wave.
He accused Trump of setting a new record for “the most lies told in a single debate”, including about the “great economy he created” and about the Covid-19 pandemic, which Biden said “he botched, killing millions of people”.
Compare this President Biden to the one on stage at the debate last night. pic.twitter.com/lRWHlVL5HG
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 28, 2024
In his closing remarks, he attempted to reassure any doubts that he is not up for the job.
“I give you my word as a Biden that I would not be running again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul that I can do this job.
“The choice in this election is simple: Donald Trump will destroy our democracy. I will defend it.”
Addressing his own rally in Virginia this evening, Trump said he does not believe Biden will exit the race for the White House.
“Many people are saying that after last night’s performance that Joe Biden is leaving the race. But the fact is, I don’t really believe that because he does better in polls than any of the Democrats they’re talking about,” Trump said.
Last night, Biden repeatedly attempted to tear into Trump, aiming to provoke him by bringing up his 34 recent felony convictions, his alleged insult of First World War veterans and his weight, but the former President didn’t seem to bite.
But 78-year-old did have some cringeworthy moments of his own however, such as declining to clearly state that he would accept the results of the election and pedaling falsehoods around immigration.
But, despite that, Trump was not the focus of global headlines this morning as Biden’s delivery, from the very start of the debate, has drawn the most attention.
It has since been reported in local media that aides of the President have confirmed Biden is sick with a cold. Shortly after the debate, he told reporters himself that he has a sore throat, which was clear by his voice at many points throughout the debate.
Biden and Trump kicked off the first presidential debate on CNN by slamming each other's records on the economy. Watch and follow live: https://t.co/aAgMty4ys1 pic.twitter.com/1OLrFXfEUr
— CNN (@CNN) June 28, 2024
Trump allies have immediately declared victory while the Democratic party has been plunged into panic.
So far, no senior Democratic figure has publicly called on him to withdraw, with most toeing a party line about sticking with the existing ticket.
Among them was former US president Barack Obama, who backed Biden after a “bad” debate night, adding “so much is at stake” in the fight against Trump.
Vice President Kamala Harris sought to defend the President’s performance, telling CNN: “There was a slow start, but there was a strong finish.”
The Atlantic magazine, which in 2020 endorsed Biden and broke the story of Trump insulting First World War veterans (a point which was discussed throughout last night’s debate), has published an article simply headlined: “Time to Go, Joe.”
“Democrats panic over Biden, doubting his future,” ran the Washington Post headline.
Host of the Daily Show, Jon Stewart, presented his programme just minutes after the debate ended and insinuated the debate itself was embarrassing to the public.
Stewart, who has been traditionally critical of Trump in almost every aspect and in recent times equally critical of Biden over his handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, made fun of conspiracy theories that candidates were using performance enhancing drugs to stay focused.
He suggested that he would have no problem with either candidate were using any type of drug, if the drug would better their performance as a candidate or, later, as a President. “This cannot be real life,” Stewart said. “Fuck. We’re America.”
Jon Stewart's takeaway from tonight's Biden-Trump debate pic.twitter.com/blfuAAdew8
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) June 28, 2024
Many media outlets in the United States have also reported that unnamed representatives in the Democratic party have labelled the debate a “disaster” and “trainwreck”.
CNN reported shortly after the debate that unnamed Democrats have also said there is “aggressive panic” from within the party after Biden’s performance.
“I think the panic had set in,” David Axelrod, a veteran advisor to former president Barack Obama said on CNN immediately after the debate about Biden’s performance.
“And I think you’re going to hear discussions that, I don’t know will lead to anything, but there are going to be discussions about whether he should continue.”
Van Jones, a former Democratic strategist during the Obama administration, said: “That was painful. I love Joe Biden. I worked for Joe Biden. He did not do well at all.”
I love Joe Biden. But tonight's debate hurt. #DebateNight pic.twitter.com/IjS6YEptff
— Van Jones (@VanJones68) June 28, 2024
“I could give you the analysis – the old man versus the con man – I could walk you through how I’m supposed to see it and say it, but I just want to speak from my heart.
“I love that guy. He’s a good man. He loves his country. He’s doing the best that he can. But he had a test to meet tonight to restore confidence of the country and of the base, and he failed to do that.
“I think there is a lot of people who will want to see him consider taking a different course now,” Jones added.
Pressed about the concerns within his party that he should step aside, Biden said he will not be. “It’s hard to debate a liar,” he added.
Includes reporting by Jane Moore and Press Association
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