US president Biden declares "he's staying in race", will defeat Trump in elections

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has declared that he is staying in the presidential race and expressed confidence that he would defeat former US President Donald Trump, NBC News reported. His statement came amid concerns regarding his performance against Trump during last week's debate. While addressing his supporters in Madison, Biden said, "You probably heard that I had a little debate last week. Can't say it is my best performance, but ever since then, there's been a lot of speculation: 'What's Joe going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out, what's he going to do?' Well, here's my answer. I am running and gonna win again."

US President said that people are trying to push him out of the race, NBC News reported. He announced, "Let me say it as clear as I can: I'm staying in the race!" He further said, "I'll beat Donald Trump." Initially, Biden said he would defeat Trump again in 2020 and then appeared to correct himself and said, "We're going to do it again in 2024." Biden said, "I learned long ago, when you get knocked down, you get back up," adding that he would not let a 90-minute debate erase his accomplishments over the past three and a half years. US President Joe Biden's remarks came as he faces calls to drop out of the presidential race. Democratic allies have said that Biden must campaign more vigorously to prove he can carry out a second term. At the beginning of his address, Biden made fun of Trump for his own verbal stumbles. He also talked about his age, which polling indicates as a top concern for voters as he seeks re-election, NBC News reported. "You think I'm too old to restore Roe v. Wade to all the land? You think I'm too old to ban assault weapons again? To protect Social Security and Medicare?" he asked in a series of call-and-response questions, that the people sitting at the event responded with a resounding, "No!" He even asked audience if they thought he was too old to defeat Trump. In response, the audience shouted, "No!" again, Biden added: "I can hardly wait."

Biden, who is now aged 81 years old, would finish his second term at 86, while Trump is 78 years old. However, voters in the polls have indicated that they are more concerned regarding Biden's age. A poll conducted by a New York Times/Siena after the debate found that 74 per cent of voters considered Biden as too old for the job. In his remarks, Biden criticised Trump with lines he used during the debate and campaign events that were held previously. He said Trump "has the morals of an alley cat" and is "a one-man crime wave," according to NBC News report. Earlier this week, the White House unequivocally denied any consideration of President Joe Biden stepping down, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stating "absolutely not" when asked about the possibility. Concerns are mounting about Biden's viability as a candidate following what has been described as a devastating performance in Atlanta, according to a New York Times (NYT) report. Jean-Pierre on Wednesday (local time) highlighted President Biden's recent engagements with supporters, acknowledging that while he has had challenging moments, his overall record and accomplishments should not be overshadowed. "He had an opportunity to talk to supporters. He has done it a couple of times at this point and laid out what happened on that night, talked about how he understands, and it was not his best night. He understands that it is fair for people to ask that question," she told reporters at the White House. Emphasising the president's achievements, Jean-Pierre added, "We cannot forget his record and what he's been able to do. We cannot forget how he has been able to deliver for the American people for almost four years. That matters, too. He has the most historical record of administration, the most in modern politics." The Press Secretary's comments come amid ongoing scrutiny and debates about the president's performance and future plans. The NYT report also said that President Biden has confided in a close ally about his contemplation of continuing in the race, acknowledging the challenge of salvaging his candidature following a disappointing presidential debate performance.