Agencies
Washington
US President Joe Biden has admitted he “screwed up” in last week’s debate against Donald Trump, but has vowed to fight on in the election race and moved to reassure key allies.
He told a Wisconsin radio station he made a “mistake” with his stumbling performance, but urged voters to instead judge him on his time in the White House.
On Wednesday, as reports suggested he was weighing his future, he worked to calm senior Democrats including state governors and campaign staff.
“I’m the nominee of the Democratic Party. No one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving,” he said in a call to the broader campaign, a source told BBC News.
Biden was joined on the call by Vice-President Kamala Harris, who reiterated her support.
Speculation has mounted over whether she could replace the president as the party’s candidate ahead of the November election.
A fundraising email sent after the call by the Biden-Harris campaign was also bullish. “Let me say this as clearly and simply as I can: I’m running,” Biden said. Questions have been swirling around whether the 81-year-old will continue with his campaign following a debate marked by verbal blanks and a weak voice.
It sparked concern in Democratic circles around his fitness for office and his ability to win the election.
Pressure on Biden to drop out has only grown as more polls suggest his Republican rival’s lead has widened.
A New York Times poll conducted after the debate, which was published on Wednesday, suggested Trump was now holding his biggest lead yet at six points. And a separate poll published by the BBC’s US partner CBS News suggested Trump has a three-point lead over Biden in the crucial battleground states.
