Biden tries to overcome his difficult debate in an energized rally

RALEIGH, North Carolina – President Joe Biden tried to turn his disappointing debate performance into a rallying cry for his supporters at an event on Friday, presenting himself as depressed but not dejected, as some in his party whisper about replacing him at the top of the ticket.

“I know I’m not a young man. I don’t walk as well as I used to. I don’t talk as well as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to, but I know what I know – I know how to tell the truth!” said an energetic Biden, nodding to the criticism he received after Thursday night’s debate while also comparing it to assessments of the veracity of several of the former president’s statements. donald trump.

“When you get knocked down, you get back up,” Biden shouted, to a cheering crowd.

“I intend to win this state in November,” Biden said of North Carolina. “We won here, we won the elections.”

The campaign event, in a state that has not voted Democratic for a presidential candidate since Barack Obama in 2008, comes after what many political observers and some Democrats said was a poor debate performance for Biden Thursday night against former President Donald Trump.

The president’s low energy level and raspy, raspy voice during Thursday’s debate left some Democrats in crisis, worried that a week of preparation at Camp David had produced a lackluster performance.

There were times when Biden, 81, froze during the debate, appearing to lose his train of thought, and times when he stumbled over his words, even though he has struggled with a stutter his entire life.

Of last night, Biden said on Friday: “I spent 90 minutes on stage and debated the guy who has the morals of a stray cat.”

Although he occasionally coughed during Friday’s remarks, Biden’s demeanor was more animated, delivering attacking lines and riling up the crowd.

Biden said that when he thought about Trump’s 34 criminal convictions, his sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll and the million-dollar fine for corporate fraud, “I thought to myself: Donald Trump is not just a convicted felon – Donald Trump is a one-man crime wave.”

A senior Biden adviser said the campaign team worked closely with the president on Friday morning to draft his closing remarks in Raleigh about the debate. It was not, the adviser said, a response to negative coverage or growing calls within the party for him to consider stepping down. Biden, the adviser said, knows full well that he didn’t deliver the performance he needed last night and knew he needed to address the issue directly on Friday.

First lady Jill BidenWearing a black dress that said “vote” in white letters, she made comments in front of her husband and praised the president’s strength and leadership skills.

“Even though he has faced unimaginable tragedies, his optimism is fearless, his strength is unwavering, his hope is unwavering,” she said. “And in recent years. Joe has helped heal our country, helping us all recover from the chaos of the last administration.”

“We don’t choose our chapter in history, but we can choose who guides us through it,” she continued. “What you saw last night on the debate stage was Joe Biden – a president with integrity and character who told the truth and Donald Trump told lie after lie after lie.”

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, said on stage that “the biggest election of our lifetime” is 130 days away.

“I know tensions are high right now, but this election is not just about what kind of president we want to have. This election is about what kind of country we want to be,” said Cooper, who asked the crowd if they wanted to be in ” Donald Trump’s America.” Eventually, the audience started chanting “lock him up!”

At the event, several Biden supporters acknowledged his lackluster performance but defended him.

“It wasn’t his best night, but he’s a better president,” John Burns said. “He is a better man and will have my vote and my work for the next five months.”

“When you look at the totality of what he did for our country and what he means to us, then I think you come away looking not just at a moment in time, but at his contributions to our nation and to our society.” , Tara Winters said.

Another supporter, David Tillem, said that advisors should “follow” the campaign better. “Who else is there? That’s the question. He’s the one in front. Can he do it? Yes,” he said of Biden. “Is he going to launch a campaign? He probably should have a better pace.”

As Biden embarks on post-debate campaign trips, his supporters quietly worry in Washington.

Some Democrats, who spoke to NBC News anonymouslybegan calling after the debate for Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race so the Democratic Party could nominate a new candidate.

Other Democrats who spoke publicly reiterated their support for Biden. California Governor Gavin Newsom, a potential future presidential candidate, told MSNBC immediately after the debate that Democrats should not panic.

“I think it is useless and unnecessary. We have to go in, we have to keep our heads up and, as I said, we have to have the support of this president,” he said. “You don’t turn your back because of a presentation. What kind of party does that?

He added: “Democrats delivered. This president delivered. We need to hand it over to him right now.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, another possible future Democratic presidential candidate, admitted in a Friday morning interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that Biden did not do well last night, but emphasized that Democrats should “ stop worrying.”

“I had the opportunity to work closely with the former president and President Biden, and you know what I can say: Joe Biden is up to the job,” he said.

Gabe Gutierrez and Mike Memoli reported from Raleigh, NC, and Rebecca Shabad, Jonathan Allen and Kelly O’Donnell reported from Washington.

This article was originally published in NBCNews. with