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President Joe Biden asserted his determination to defeat Republican rival Donald Trump in the upcoming November presidential election, showing no signs of contemplating withdrawal despite criticism from fellow Democrats following his lackluster debate performance.
"I know I'm not a young man, to state the obvious," Biden acknowledged enthusiastically at a rally held the day after his widely perceived loss in the head-to-head debate with the 81-year-old president.
"I may not walk as easily as I used to, I may not speak as smoothly as I used to, I may not debate as effectively as I used to," Biden conceded, as the crowd chanted "four more years."
"But I wouldn't be running again if I didn't firmly believe I could do this job with all my heart and soul. The stakes are too high," Biden was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Biden's occasional verbal stumbling and meandering responses in the debate have heightened voter concerns about his fitness for another four-year term. This has prompted some Democrats to consider whether they should explore alternative candidates for the November 5th U.S. election.
The Biden campaign reported raising $14 million on Thursday and Friday, with its highest hour of fundraising occurring immediately after the Thursday night debate. In contrast, the Trump campaign stated it raised $8 million on the night of the debate.
Meanwhile, Anita Dunn, a senior adviser to President Joe Biden, affirmed on Saturday that there were no talks about the president withdrawing from the presidential race following his underwhelming performance in the first debate against former President Donald Trump.
During a panel on MSNBC's "The Weekend," Dunn said, "The reality is that I think voters experienced this debate a little differently than perhaps some of the insiders did. We were looking at a lot of research. Other people were looking at ongoing research as well during it, and voters actually focus on issues that are important to them."
Dunn argued that voters and supporters favored Biden's focus on the issues during the debate, contrasting it with Trump's rhetoric and personality.
For his part Trump, 78, put forward a series of falsehoods throughout the debate and deflected questions, further raising concerns about his own fitness for office, but much of the focus afterward was squarely on Biden, especially among Democrats.
Meanwhile, Trump advisers expressed confidence that the debate would improve their prospects in Democratic-leaning states such as Virginia, which has not supported a Republican presidential candidate since 2004.