President Joe Biden, 81, spoke out following his much-criticized performance during the first presidential debate of 2024 on Thursday, June 27. The Earl Ingram Show, which aired in full on July 4 after the release of a preview of the excerptthe leader of the Democratic Party reflected on the debate.
“I had a bad night, and the thing is, you know… I screwed up. I made a mistake,” he said. Pointing to his presidential term, Biden added: “It’s 90 minutes on stage. Look what I’ve done in 3.5 years.”
Biden sparked concern after he was seen stumbling over his words and apparently losing his train of thought during certain parts of the debate, which took place at CNN’s Atlanta studios and was co-moderated by journalists Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. At one point, after Biden finished answering a question about immigration and border security, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump said of his opponent: “I really don’t know what he said at the end of the sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said either.
See more information: Trump Claims People Told Him “Given the Best Performance in the History of Presidential Debates”
After the debate, there were loud calls for Biden to step aside. Some are vying for the president to allow Vice President Kamala Harris to take her place before the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which will be held in Chicago Aug. 19-22. They also expressed the desire for the President to withdraw from the 2024 elections before the important vote in November.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reacted to reports that Biden is about to withdraw. “The president has clear eyes and is still in the race,” she said firmly. And Biden himself made an effort to rally the public after his performance.
See more information: ‘I’m in this race to the end’: Biden struggles as calls to quit grow louder
On Friday, June 28, the day after the debate, Biden showed his defiant stance during a campaign rally in North Carolina. Acknowledging concerns about his age and debate performance but insisting he is ready for the job, Biden told a cheering crowd: “I don’t walk as easily as I used to. I don’t speak 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. I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this work. I know how to do things. And I know, as millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back up.”
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
