President Joe Biden, accompanied by the First Lady, reassured Democrat donors that he remains confident in winning the upcoming November presidential election against Donald Trump,

following a disappointing debate performance that has raised concerns about his candidacy.

During fundraising events in New York and New Jersey on Saturday, Biden acknowledged his subpar performance in CNN's Presidential Debate but emphasized that Trump also struggled. "I didn’t have a great night, but neither did Trump," Biden said at one event. He firmly stated, "I promise you we're going to win this election."

The 81-year-old president's debate performance, marked by difficult-to-follow and shaky answers, has caused some Democrats to worry about his suitability for this high-stakes election. Former Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi described Biden's performance as “wasn’t great,” while his former communications director, Kate Bedingfield, called it “really disappointing.”

Despite understanding the concerns, Biden pledged to fight harder. At the fundraiser, New Jersey's Democratic governor Phil Murphy expressed unwavering support, telling Biden, "we are all with you 1,000%."

Rejecting calls to step aside, the Biden campaign acknowledged the debate did not go as planned but remained steadfast. Campaign chairwoman Jennifer O'Malley Dillon stated that internal post-debate polling indicated "voters' opinions were not changed," dismissing media narratives as causing temporary dips in polls.

Former President Barack Obama, a close friend of Biden, also offered support, stating on social media, "bad debate nights happen," and framed the election as a choice between Biden, who has fought for ordinary people, and Trump, who he claimed only cares about himself.

Conversely, Trump declared the debate a "big victory" for his campaign, criticizing Biden's competence rather than his age. The New York Times editorial board described Biden's determination to run again as a "reckless gamble" and suggested Democrats should consider a more capable candidate.

Voters from both parties expressed concerns after the debate. Democrat Lori Gregory found the debate difficult to watch, questioning the quality of the candidates, while Republican Crystal Myers-Barber thought Trump appeared more presidential. Democrat Shana Ziolko felt frustration and saw no clear winner.

A post-debate poll by Data for Progress found that 62% of likely voters believed Trump won the debate, with only 30% favoring Biden.

Fundraising efforts, however, demonstrated continued enthusiasm for Biden's candidacy. Chairwoman O'Malley Dillon reported over $27 million raised from Thursday's debate to Friday evening. She noted that despite the criticism, data from battleground states indicated the election remained extremely close. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.