News - World: Struggling US President Joe Biden stubbornly insists on continuing his re-election campaign as Democrats mull forcing him to abandon the presidential race after his poor debate performance against former president Donald Trump.

In an attempt to put down an uprising among some Democrats to force him out of the presidential race, 81-year-old Biden stressed that he would not end his campaign, vowing that “I’m staying in the race.”

In a fiery address to his supporters in Wisconsin and during an exclusive interview with ABC News, the American president stressed that he is the only Democratic candidate who is capable of thwarting Republican Trump’s bid to reclaim the White House in the upcoming November 5 election.

“We had a little debate last week. Can’t say it was my best performance. But ever since then there’s been a lot of speculation. ‘What’s Joe gonna do? Is he gonna stay in the race? Is he gonna drop out?” Biden said, stressing, “Well here’s my answer: I am running and gonna win again.”

Following Biden’s halting performance in the June 27 debate with Trump, some Democrats expressed grave concerns about the incumbent president’s mental sharpness and endurance at such an advanced age.

There is a growing effort within the Democrat Party to convince Biden to quit, as critics caution that he is very likely to lose and could negatively impact other Democrats. House Democrats and a coalition of senators plan to discuss the topic when they reconvene in Washington next week.

During the 22-minute interview with ABC News, Biden once again argued that he simply had a bad night at the debate but was otherwise fine.

“It was a bad episode. No indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted. I didn’t listen to my instincts in terms of preparing and – and a bad night,” he said.

Biden also dismissed polls that depicted him trailing his arch-rival Trump, claiming that other polls have him in a better position.

When questioned about whether he had taken a particular cognitive test as part of a neurological examination, Biden replied that he had not and emphasized that there had been no requirement for him to do so. He also stressed that the demands of the presidency alone were rigorous enough.

Biden’s most recent physical exam on February 28 confirmed his fitness for duty.

The US president also emphasized that he was the best candidate to take on Trump and that only “Lord almighty” could oust him from the race.

On Wednesday, the White House affirmed Biden’s determination to stay in the race through spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

“Absolutely not,” she told reporters when asked if Biden was considering throwing in the towel. “And you heard directly from the campaign as well,” she added.

This is while the Reuters/Ipsos poll said 32 percent of Democrats thought Biden had to end his reelection bid, ahead of the upcoming election.

Source: Press TV