Defiant Biden attacks Trump but admits: ‘I don’t debate as well as I used to’ | US News

President Biden called Donald Trump a “one-man crime wave” at a rally in North Carolina after facing calls for his resignation following his debate with Donald Trump on Thursday.

President Biden attacked Donald Trump at a rally in North Carolina following his “shocking” performance in the presidential debate on Thursday night.

“My walk is not as light as it used to be, my speech is not as fluent as it used to be, I cannot debate as well as I used to, but I know what I know.

“I know how to tell the truth,” President Biden said.

His appearance at the debate on Thursday evening was described by some in his own party as an “absolute disaster” after he paused and stumbled his way through, leading to calls for his resignation.

“I give you my word as Biden, I would not run again if I did not believe with all my heart and soul that I can do this job,” he said at the rally on Friday.

Mr Biden attacked the former president’s criminal record and called Donald Trump a “one-man crime wave.”

“I guess he set a new record for most lies in a single debate,” he added, telling the audience he “spent 90 minutes on stage debating a guy who has the morals of a stray.”

Before he spoke, First Lady Jill Biden took the podium.

“A president with integrity”

After reiterating how much she loved her husband, she told the crowd, “What you saw on the debate stage last night was Joe Biden, a president with integrity who told the truth.”

But even after the event, some remained skeptical about whether Joe Biden should run for president.

“I don’t think President Joe Biden can be the standard-bearer of the Democratic Party in 2024,” former White House Director of Global Engagement Brett Bruen told Sky News’ Yalda Hakim.

“Last night’s performance was astonishingly bad. You can’t just be good at the teleprompter,” he said.

Friday night’s rally took place in Raleigh, North Carolina, a state considered crucial for Democrats in the election.

Donald Trump beat Mr Biden here in 2020 by less than 1.3 percentage points and is currently considered the favorite to win again by a slightly larger margin.

Following Thursday’s debate, there were repeated calls for President Biden to resign.

It is “time to talk about an open convention and a new Democratic candidate,” a Democratic politician told Sky’s US partner broadcaster NBC News.

Another said: “It was like a boxing champion who steps into the ring after his prime and has to throw in the towel on his part.”

Read more at Sky News:
Joe Biden: Could the Democrats replace him as US election candidate?
Biden’s performance against Trump was one of the worst in presidential history

Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged that President Joe Biden had a “slow start” to the debate, but stressed that he finished “strong.”

Democratic Representative Jim McGovern told reporters, “I would be lying if I told you I thought the debate was great.”

When asked whether it was time for the party to consider another candidate, he replied: “I have not come to a conclusion yet.”

The Trump campaign released a video on Friday highlighting Biden’s missteps. “Last night, the world saw who he is. He is not fit to serve,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.

At a Waffle House restaurant in Atlanta after the debate, Biden told reporters he had no concerns about his performance. “It’s hard to debate a liar,” he said.