July 1, Washington DC:
Key US Democratic leaders firmly opposed the idea that President Joe Biden should end his 2024 campaign for a second four-year term in the White House due to his halting and disjointed performance last week in the debate against former President Donald Trump, as reported by Voice of America (VOA), while Biden was at Camp David for a long-planned family get-together. In the nationally broadcasted 90-minute debate, Biden's Democratic supporters quickly pointed out his flaws, including his inability to finish sentences and his false claim that he had abolished Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly. Biden is 81 years old.
An updated CBS-YouGov survey found that 72 percent of Americans do not believe Biden possesses the "mental and cognitive health to serve as president," a result that was seven percentage points lower than three weeks ago, as reported by VOA. But national polls suggest that Biden and Trump are still neck and neck.
Although some rank-and-file Democrats and editorials in The New York Times and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggested that he step aside for a younger contender, the prominent Democratic officials firmly opposed the idea. "The unfortunate truth is that Biden should withdraw from the race, for the good of the nation he has served so admirably for half a century," stated the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of Biden's candidacy.
In the crucial southern state of Georgia, which is a political battleground, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the top newspaper. Additionally, it stated, "The shade of retirement is now necessary for President Biden," as reported by VOA.
Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) said on NBC's "Meet the Press": "Oh, absolutely not.". "Debate disasters do occur. Is there anyone else for whom Donald Trump has ever shown up but himself and those like him? Along with Joe Biden, it is our mission to ensure that he successfully completes the race by November.
One of Biden's most vocal backers, South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn, recently stated on CNN's "State of the Union" that he believes Joe Biden will be able to successfully lead for the next four years, building on his stellar performance over the past three and a half. "Past performance is the best predictor of future behaviour," I say time and time again. He blamed "preparation overload" for the events of the discussion, according to VOA.
On CBS's "Face the Nation," Maryland Governor Wes Moore stated that "the president had a difficult night just like every single one of us do"; nonetheless, he emphasized that this should not disqualify him from the November 5 contest.
"Joe Biden is not going to take himself out of this race, nor should he." The Biden campaign, in a fundraising plea made on Saturday night, claims that if he were to be replaced as the Democratic standard-bearer, the party convention to choose a new nominee would take place in August, and that this would be "a highway to losing" the national election.
The Biden campaign has raised USD 33 million since the debate, according to Kate Bedingfield, a former Biden White House communications aide who spoke with CNN. A former chief of staff for President Trump and Republican National Committee chairman, Reince Priebus, criticized Joe Biden's decision to remain in the race, calling it "just all downside for Joe Biden." On "This Week" on ABC, he stated, "This is not a bad debate night." "This was an incoherent, almost impossible mess."
Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina stated, "He's (Biden) a decent man." There is no president like him. He has caved. There's a plot to this. The world witnessed a president who had been compromised. As reported by VOA, Biden finally made it to the presidential retreat outside of Washington, Camp David, for a long-awaited family reunion after spending the weekend at campaign fundraisers in New Jersey and New York. Joe Biden has said the exact opposite and has not hinted that he intends to withdraw from the contest.
"I know I'm not a young man," Biden told supporters on Friday, the day following the debate. There was a time when I could walk with ease. My speech is less fluid than it once was. Truth telling is one thing I'm good at, even though I'm not as good at debating as I once was. Furthermore, Biden stated that he would not be seeking reelection unless he truly believed, "with all my heart and soul I can do this."
