‘I’m going to be fighting harder,’ Biden tells donors after disastrous debate

President Biden had planned to spend the days after his first 2024 debate against former President Donald Trump taking a victory lap with Democratic supporters and donors.

Instead, he spent the weekend doing damage control, attempting to reassure his party that he is still up to the job, after Thursday’s debate where his hoarse voice and verbal stumbles left Democrats collectively wringing their hands. His weak performance led to a chorus of calls for him to end his reelection campaign.

“I understand the concern after the debate. I get it,” Biden told a group of supporters gathered at the home of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Saturday night. “I didn’t have a great night. But I’m going to be fighting harder and going to need you with me to get it done.”

After the debate, Biden boosted his energy level

The Biden campaign had been looking to shake up the race with the debate, which the president spent a week prepping for at Camp David. They had wanted to draw a contrast between him and Trump on issues like abortion, democracy and the economy — and they wanted to put to rest concerns about Biden’s age.

Less than 24 hours after the debate, Biden was back on stage for a rally in Raleigh, N.C., this time with a stronger voice and more energetic presence.

“I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know like millions of Americans know — when you get knocked down, you get back up,” he said to a cheering crowd.

Biden debuted new talking points addressing his weak performance — something he would go on to repeat at several different campaign receptions on Friday and Saturday in New York and New Jersey.

“I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used