DNC chairman says party backs Biden following debate disaster since he 'has always had our back'
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Jaime Harrison attempted to put rumors of President Biden's replacement to bed following his disastrous debate performance, arguing that the party has the president's back.
Harrison told MSNBC host Al Sharpton that the people are still strongly supporting President Biden, saying that the "hand-wringing" is coming from the media.
"You hear the hand-wringing coming from pundits, Rev, and from op-eds like the New York Times, but you don't hear from the people," he said.
"What I have seen is that galvanization, particularly in the Black community," he said. "I'm a Black man. I've seen the galvanization of support for Joe Biden because, you know, in the Black community, in your family, you can say all that you want to say about a member of your family, but don't let somebody else."
The DNC chairman said that people have Biden's back because he has "always had our back."
"That's what I've seen in terms of support of Joe Biden, because for us, Joe Biden has always had our back, and we're going to have his," he said.
"So we're still riding with Biden," Harrison said.
With a raspy voice and delivering rambling answers, Biden struggled during portions of Thursday night's debate. He also lost his train of thought several times, raising concerns among his closest allies in politics and in the media.
BIDEN'S INNER CIRCLE SILENT AS PARTY REELS FOLLOWING ‘EMBARRASSING’ DEBATE PERFORMANCE
Following the debate, Democrats and liberal media figures were reportedly in "panic" after Biden's performance.
The optics led to a full-on meltdown in Democrat-friendly media, with journalists at various outlets reporting on dozens of Democratic Party officials who said the 81-year-old Biden should consider refusing his party's nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.
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Biden gave no indication that he would step down at his first rally following the debate in Raleigh, North Carolina, insisting he is capable of beating Trump.
"I can do this job, because, quite frankly, the stakes are too high," Biden energetically said. "Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this nation."
Some strategists have suggested the Democratic Party must act quickly to replace Biden before his nomination is made official in August.
Vice President Kamala Harris has been largely ruled out as a potential replacement due to her unpopularity with voters. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have each previously been floated as a potential last-minute replacement.