During whirlwinds of rumors and intense media speculation about his future in the presidential race, President Joe Biden has set the record straight. Despite recent setbacks and mounting skepticism from various quarters, including a notably challenging debate performance, Biden’s resolve reportedly remains unshaken.

The origins of the turmoil can be traced back to a report by the New York Times, which suggested on Wednesday morning that Biden had expressed his doubts about the viability of his campaign following a disappointing debate showing. The article cited an anonymous ally who claimed to have spoken to the president shortly after the debate, revealing Biden’s concerns about his ability to rejuvenate his campaign.

“He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place” by the end of the weekend, the ally said to the Times, referring to Biden’s disjointed showing in the debate. The report rapidly ignited speculation about the future of his candidacy. However, the White House and Biden’s reelection team were quick to counter these claim.

In a sharp rebuttal, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates criticized the New York Times for their reporting approach, stating, “That claim is absolutely false. If the New York Times had provided us with more than 7 minutes to comment we would have told them so.”

On Wednesday amid turbulent waters, Biden himself spoke up. During a campaign call, he declared emphatically, “Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running…no one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win,” according to Politico’s Elena Schneider.

President Biden on campaign call that just wrapped, per person on the call:

"Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running…no one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”

— Elena Schneider (@ec_schneider) July 3, 2024

The New York Times reported on Wednesday:

A top adviser to Mr. Biden, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the situation, said the president was “well aware of the political challenge he faces…”

Mr. Biden has been slow to personally reach out to key Democrats, which has fueled anger in the party and frustrated some of his own advisers. He called only Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the House Democratic leader, on Tuesday night, five days after the debate, and still had not spoken with Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate Democratic leader, as of Wednesday morning. Key donors expressed exasperation that he did not join a campaign call on Monday meant to assuage them…

Key party donors have been privately calling House members, senators, super PACs, the Biden campaign and the White House to say that they think Mr. Biden should step down, according to Democrats familiar with the discussion.

Following the first presidential debate, the race for the White House has tilted towards Trump. A new CBS News poll released Wednesday morning revealed that Trump is now ahead of Biden, with a 2-point lead nationally at 50 percent to 48 percent, and a slightly larger 3-point advantage in battleground states at 51 percent to 48 percent.

Over 90% of supporters on both sides stated they would never consider switching their allegiance to the other candidate, a sentiment that was unchanged by the recent debate. Despite a temporary boost for Biden in June following Trump’s felony convictions in New York, the overall dynamics of the race were not significantly affected. Currently, the polling suggests a potential Electoral College advantage for Trump.

According to the poll, half of the voters who supported Biden in 2020 now believe he should not be running this year. This skepticism is dampening their enthusiasm for the upcoming election, making them less likely to vote and more inclined to support either Trump or a third-party candidate. On the other side, most Republicans are feeling energized following the debate, with many saying it has increased their likelihood of voting. Meanwhile, the independent vote remains a close contest, with Trump currently gaining a slight edge among this critical group.

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