Biden admits poor debate performance, vows he can still be president for 4 more years

President Joe Biden's first debate with former President Donald Trump ended with calls from within his own party, far and wide, for him to drop out of the race.

Worried Democrats want someone else, bottom line. They now know that Biden simply doesn't have what it takes to lead a nation, and would be better suited to a luxury retirement home for elite politicians.

Even though the calls for Biden's exit from his own party were louder than they'd ever been, the elderly president made it clear that he's not interested in dropping out, and thinks he still has what it takes to win in November, the Daily Mail reported.

The president made the claims during his first post-debate rally, in which he even admitted that debating is no longer his strong suit.

"I know I'm not a young man. To state the obvious," Biden said. "Folks, I don't walk as easily as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly 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 job. I know how to get things done," Biden insisted to a crowd who had just witnessed him prove the contrary.

The president closed by telling the audience, "I would not be running again if I didn't believe with all my heart and soul that I could do this job."

However, calls for his immediate exit had already echoed through some of the most Biden-friendly corners of the media world, including at The New York Times, which immediately asked the president to hang up his hat and give someone else a chance, for the sake of the party.

"At Thursday’s debate, the president needed to convince the American public that he was equal to the formidable demands of the office he is seeking to hold for another term," wrote the Times editorial board.

It added, "Voters, however, cannot be expected to ignore what was instead plain to see: Mr. Biden is not the man he was four years ago."

In @nytopinion

Voters "cannot be expected to ignore what was instead plain to see: Mr. Biden is not the man he was four years ago," the editorial board writes after Thursday's presidential debate. https://t.co/28cDmEB6VS pic.twitter.com/VS5zFzAPcd

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 29, 2024

Citing what's at stake for "democracy," the outlet wrote, "the greatest public service Mr. Biden can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election."

The White House and Biden's campaign have pledged that the president will not step down or otherwise give up the race at this point.

However, many within the party believe that the party will have no choice but to somehow force him out sooner than later. Only time will tell.