Joe Biden vows to beat Donald Trump despite bad debate performance, says I know I am not young

Despite a feeble debate performance that dismayed his fellow Democrats, US President Joe Biden on Friday said he intended to defeat Republican rival Donald Trump in the November presidential election.

Further, Biden gave no sign he would consider dropping out of the race.

Speaking at a rally in North Carolina hours after the head-to-head showdown with his Republican rival, Biden said, “I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious, I don’t walk as easy as I used to, I don’t speak as smoothly 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.”

“I know right or wrong, I know how to do this job, I know how to get things done. When you get knocked down, you get back up,” Biden said, alluding to his debate performance.

“I would not be running again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul that I could do this job. The stakes are too high,” Biden said.

Cheers of “four more years, four more years” and “USA, USA, USA” could be heard as Biden spoke at the rally.

On Thursday night (US local time), Biden’s verbal stumbles and occasionally meandering responses in the debate heightened voter concerns that he might not be fit to serve another four-year term and prompted some of his fellow Democrats to wonder whether they could replace him as their candidate for the November 5 US election.

Though Trump, 78, put forward a series of falsehoods throughout the debate, the focus afterwards was squarely on Biden, especially among Democrats.

Meanwhile, the Biden campaign said it raised $14 million on Thursday and Friday and posted its single best hour of fundraising immediately after the Thursday night debate.

The Trump campaign said it raised $8 million on the night of the debate.

Biden, already the oldest American president in history, faced only token opposition during the party’s months-long nominating contest, and he has secured enough support to guarantee his spot as the Democratic nominee.

Trump likewise overcame his intra-party challengers early in the year, setting the stage for a long and bitter general election fight.