Democrats deny all doubts: Biden is still competing with Trump

Senior US Democratic Party sources have ruled out replacing President Joseph Biden as a candidate following his poor performance in recent televised debates and called on party members to focus on the consequences of a second term for rival Donald Trump.

Democratic officials have strongly rejected calls for the party to choose a younger presidential candidate.

Joseph Biden (81) was hanging out with his family at the presidential retreat at Camp David and it was thought the topic of conversation was his political future.

A CBS poll released after the debate showed the number of Democrats who said Biden should not run for president increased by 10 points, to 36% from 46% in February.

“It is a sad fact that Biden should withdraw from the race for the good of the country he has served with all his heart for a half-century,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote in its weekly column. “For President Biden, the fate of his pension now hangs in the balance.”

“Absolutely not,” responded Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., one of several Democrats considered possible alternatives to Biden.

“Bad debates happen,” Warnock said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“The question is: Who is Donald Trump standing up for other than himself and people like him? I stand with Joe Biden, and our mission is to make sure he gets across the finish line in November,” the senator noted.

House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, who could become speaker of the lower chamber of Congress next year if his party wins control of the House in November, acknowledged that Biden suffered a setback during his debate with former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.

“I believe failure is simply preparation for recovery,” he told MSNBC.

“So the moment we’re in now is a moment of homecoming, where we all need to come together and make the case for why the Democratic choice is best suited to meet the challenges facing the American people,” he added.

James Clyburn, another top House Democrat, agreed.

“He should stay in this game. He should show his ability to lead the country in the future,” he told CNN.