Biden says he'll stay in race after disappointing debate performance

President Biden appearing to dismiss talk among some Democrats of replacing him on the ticket after what was too many a week and concerning debate performance against former President Trump last night. The president today before a fired up crowd of supporters in North Carolina declaring when you get knocked down, you get back up, suggesting he's staying in the race, telling the crowd I know how to do this job. Mr. Biden today appearing far more energized than last night when he struggled to complete thoughts at times, all while Mr. Trump delivered a rapid fire barrage of talking points on immigration and the economy, a number of them false or misleading. President Biden calling out Mr. Trump over his recent criminal conviction and blasting his morals. Much of the debate, however, overshadowed by Joe Biden's onstage performance. Gabe Gutierrez has laid to tails, facing panic within the Democratic Party today at a raucous rally in North Carolina. A defiant President Biden declared he's staying in the race. When you get knocked down, you get back up while acknowledging his debate performance that many Democrats panned as a disaster. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth. I know. I know. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job. Today's event, a stark contrast from the night before supporters here sticking by him. I would love to have seen that person at the debate last night. Is President Biden the best person to lead the Democratic Party right now? Who else is there? Meanwhile, at his rally in Virginia, former President Trump taking a victory lap. The question every voter should be asking themselves today is not whether Joe Biden can survive a 90 minute debate performance, but whether America can survive four more years of crooked Joe Biden in the White House. All of it coming after last night's debate, where the 81 year old president hoped to put to rest questions about his mental acuity. Instead, he fueled even more with a raspy voice. The campaign blamed on a cold. He repeatedly lost his train of thought, making sure that we're able to make every single solitary person eligible for what I've been able to do with the with the covid excuse me, with dealing with everything we have to do with. Look, if we finally beat Medicare, even muddling this answer on one of his key issues, abortion rights, I support Roe v. Wade, which had three trimesters. First time is between the woman and the doctor. Second time is between the doctor and an extreme situation. A third time is between the doctor. I mean, between the woman in the state, former President Trump took advantage. I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said either. But President Biden did deliver some sharp attacks against Mr. Trump, branding him a convicted felon and getting personal. How many billions of dollars do you owe in civil penalties for for molesting a woman in public, for doing a whole range of things, of having sex with a porn star on the night while your wife was pregnant? I mean, what what are you talking about? You have the morals of an alley cat. Good night, sir. I didn't have sex with a porn star. Former President Trump, appearing more measured to start, became more aggressive with his attacks as the debate wore on. Did you fire anybody? Did you fire anybody that's on the border that's allowed us to have the worst border in the history of the world? But he also repeated many false claims, including that most Americans supported overturning Roe v. Wade when polls show otherwise. You had Roe v. Wade and everybody wanted to get it back to the states, everybody without exception. And the lie that there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election. The fraud and everything else was ridiculous. He also refused to give a clear answer on whether he'd accept the results this November. If it's a fair and legal and good election, absolutely. After the debate, Republicans went on the attack, saying the night validated their concerns about the president's fitness for office. We have been discussing here for a long, long time that President Biden is not up to the job. I mean, everyone sees that clearly. The Biden campaign doing damage control. A source familiar with the discussions tells NBC News staffers considered pulling Vice President Kamala Harris from scheduled post-debate interviews, but she said she wanted to do them to defend the president. Yes, there was a slow start, but it was a strong finish. Gabe, we've learned there's late tonight a new notable call for President Biden to step aside. Yes, Lester, the New York Times editorial board just published a scathing piece headline to serve his country. President Biden should leave the race, writing he is not the man he was four years ago. Lester. Gabe Gutierrez tonight. Thank you. There's also a growing alarm tonight among Democrats over the president's debate performance, some privately calling for him to drop out, but others are rallying to President Biden's defense, including former President Obama. Here's Peter Alexander. Tonight, as President Biden defends his place atop the ticket, some Democrats are considering an extraordinary scenario, whether someone else should be their nominee. Overnight, private worries turn into public alarm. He had one thing he had to accomplish, and that was reassure America that he was up to the job at his age. And he failed at that tonight. There are going to be discussions about whether he should continue. The doubts deepening. One veteran Democratic strategist telling NBC News, there is no coming back from this disaster. But tonight, this forceful show of support from former President Obama, writing bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself. Adding last night didn't change that. And this from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who some Democrats have floated as an alternative nominee. You don't turn your back because of one performance. What kind of party does that? Also defending the president, Democratic Senator John Fetterman, who won despite struggling in his own debate following a stroke, saying, I refuse to join the Democratic vultures on Biden's shoulder. But more perilous for the president, his performance comes after the White House spent months pushing back against any questions about his mental and physical fitness to serve. The only plausible scenario for Democrats to select a new nominee, according to a DNC rules committee member, would be for the president himself to decide to withdraw. He himself would have to get out of the race. OK, there's no other way to do it. Because those delegates that are already elected, they like Joe Biden. They're loyal to Joe Biden. If President Biden were to drop out before he's formally nominated in August, it could create a free for all among Democrats. Because there's no mechanism for him or anyone else to anoint a chosen successor. So President Biden made clear again today that he's not going anywhere. And the president's aides tonight say that he'll do the second scheduled debate in September. Lester. All right, Peter, thank you. Thanks for watching. Stay updated about breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or follow us on social media.