On the 28th, the day after the first presidential debate of the 2024 U.S. election, the incumbent, presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, was hotly debated as to whether or not he would be “replaced” because of his worrisome performance in the debate; Biden himself has made it clear that he rejects this option.
On the evening of the 27th, Biden did not fare well in his one-on-one presidential debate with former President and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump. In the highly publicized 90-minute televised debate, which drew millions of Americans, Biden’s advanced age, a concern often voiced by U.S. voters, and Biden’s greatest political weakness, was more than clearly on display. During the debate, Biden stumbled and stuttered in his speech, stammered in response to questions, and even displayed incoherence on more than one occasion; Biden’s Democratic Party has thus been forced to confront the issue publicly. Many people, from lawmakers to major donors, are debating whether the now 81-year-old should remain on the ballot; or whether the Democrats should and can find a viable replacement with only 130 days or so until voting day. But Biden himself has explicitly rejected the “replaced” option; former President Barack Obama and other staunch supporters of Biden have also spoken out in favor of his re-election bid after a brief period of silence.
Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch said, “As a party, we need to make some decisions. We have to have a discussion (about replacement) immediately.” As one of the first members of Congress to endorse Biden’s 2020 campaign, Lynch said he loves Biden and that “he’s a good and decent man, but last night was horrible.” Rep. Susie Lee (D-Calif.), another Democratic congresswoman, expressed skepticism that a suitable replacement could be found, but she also said Democrats “absolutely” need to discuss how to move forward after the debate.
Ron Klain, Biden’s chief debate coach, noted, “While you can lose a debate at any time, you can only win it in the first 30 minutes. By that standard, the president’s performance was devastating. The tone of the night was set half an hour earlier.”
A number of key Biden and Democratic donors have also made it clear that Biden’s performance has been “terrible” and “very disappointing and disturbing”, while others have expressed a desire to “take their time and wait and see”.
One of Biden’s top advisers said early on that the president has no plans to drop out of the race, Biden remains committed to the planned September debate with Trump. The second and final presidential debate of the election is scheduled for Sept. 10, as planned. Biden’s campaign, citing a survey of voters in one Midwestern state, said Trump’s performance disappointed independent voters who could decide the election; the team said the 11 p.m.-midnight period on the 27th from 11 p.m. to midnight ET, an hour after the debate, was the best hour for fundraising since the campaign launched in April 2023.
Key democratic figures and supporters rally behind Biden amid debate controversy
Biden himself in the evening of the 27th publicly expressed his performance “very satisfied”; in the 28th of the statement is to admit that he did not perform well in the debate, but refused to “be replaced”. At a campaign rally in North Carolina on the 28th, Biden appeared full of energy; he told the cheering crowd: “I know I’m not a young man, that’s obvious. I don’t walk as easily as I used to. I don’t speak as fluently as I used to. And I’m not as good a debater as I used to be. But I know exactly what I know. I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job well.”
Biden’s opponent, Donald Trump, spoke fluently and thoughtfully during the previous night’s debate; however, he continued to use repetitive phrases and was dismissed by the media as “lying” on a number of issues.
Biden also posted on the social media platform X on the 28th that Trump is a “real threat” to the United States and American values of freedom.
Biden’s longtime partner Obama also posted on X in the late afternoon of the 28th, “Bad debate nights happen. But this election is still a choice between a man who has spent his life fighting for the common man and a man who cares only about himself.”
“Last night didn’t change that, and that’s why the November election is at stake.” Obama wrote.

Incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris (D-CA) also called for a focus not on Biden’s underwhelming debate performance, but on his governing accomplishments in an interview. She also said she would continue to support Biden.
Kamala Harris, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and former first lady Michelle Obama are seen as “replaceable if Biden pushes” who have already spoken out in favor of Biden. Now, given that Biden has made it clear that he does not intend to withdraw from the race, and that Biden has already received a majority of the delegate votes, there is a good chance that he will still be the nominee at the DNC in August; and if Biden withdraws after the convention, the DNC will need to call a special meeting to decide on a presidential nominee, and then there are state elections to follow, and then face different responses to this scenario from state election laws, things will be even more complicated.
The Republicans, for their part, expectedly criticized Biden’s performance heavily. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Wis.) said on a news program that Biden’s performance was “sad” and that “it’s dangerous to show the country that.”
Mark Harris, a Republican political consultant in Pennsylvania, pointedly said, “I do worry that he won’t be able to win the presidency until January (of 2025), let alone be president for another four years.”
After first presidential debate, Biden kicks off fundraising series

Comprehensive English-language media reports, Biden on the 29th began a series of fund-raising activities in New York State and New Jersey. Biden and first lady Jill Biden first in East Hampton, N.Y. Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team owner Avram Glazer to participate in a campaign event, followed by investor Barry Rosenstein to participate in a second campaign event.
Rosenstein’s wife, Lizanne, said Biden is “a role model for getting knocked down and getting up again and again. While we can waste time comparing debate nights, you know what? It’s much more rewarding to compare presidencies.”
Biden slammed the poor performance of the Trump presidency, including his treatment of veterans, and noted that Trump didn’t do well in the debates. Biden said what he saw was an increase in support for Democrats after the debate.