Joe Biden's spokeswoman stated on Wednesday that he is "absolutely not" withdrawing from the US presidential race, despite the mounting pressure following his poor performance in the debate against Donald Trump. Panic has seized the Democratic Party after last week's televised debate, and discussions about finding a replacement candidate before the November election have intensified due to polls indicating Trump's widening lead.

The New York Times and CNN reported that Biden, 81, had admitted to a key ally that his re-election campaign was at risk if he did not swiftly assure the public of his capability. However, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed these reports, asserting that Biden has no plans to step down. "The president is clear-eyed and he is staying in the race," she informed reporters. Biden reassured campaign and party staffers during a call that he is committed to the race.

"I'm in this race to the end and we're going to win because when Democrats unite, we will always win. Just as we beat Donald Trump in 2020, we're going to beat him again in 2024," he declared, according to a source close to the campaign. He reiterated this message during an emergency meeting with Democratic governors, who reaffirmed their support.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore, considered a rising star and potential future presidential candidate, stated alongside Minnesota's Tim Walz and Kathy Hochul of New York, "As the president continued to tell us, and show us, that he was all in... we said that we would stand with him." Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who also attended the meeting at the White House and is seen as a top pick to replace Biden if he withdraws, expressed her support on social media, stating, "He is in it to win it and I support him."

Biden has acknowledged his subpar performance in the debate and was candid in a radio interview with Wisconsin's Civic Media. "I screwed up. I made a mistake. That's 90 minutes on stage. Look at what I've done in 3.5 years," he admitted. The Biden campaign has been urgently trying to convince Democratic donors and voters that the president's performance against Trump was an anomaly.

However, party figures have expressed confusion over the president's and his aides' attempts to deflect and make excuses. Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, one of the Democratic Party's largest donors, suggested in the New York Times that Biden should step aside. "Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous," he wrote in an email to the paper.

The concern was heightened by a New York Times poll conducted after the debate, which showed Trump with his largest lead ever over Biden—49 percent to 43 percent of likely voters. It was not until six days after the debate that Biden completed a series of calls with Democratic congressional leaders, and staffers have expressed frustration over the slow pace of outreach.

"We are getting to the point where it may not have been the debate that did him in, but the aftermath of how they've handled it," a senior Democratic operative told Axios. Biden may face scrutiny over his quick thinking abilities during his first television interview since the debate with ABC News on Friday, and he will also campaign in the swing states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the coming days.

The president has attributed his poor debate performance to fatigue, stating that he was unwise to travel extensively before the debate. However, he had been back in the United States for nearly two weeks and had spent two days relaxing and six days preparing before the debate. Democratic lawmakers have started to openly express their doubts. Arizona congressman Raul Grijalva became the second sitting Democrat to urge Biden to withdraw.

"If he's the candidate, I'm going to support him, but I think that this is an opportunity to look elsewhere," Grijalva said, according to the Times. In Scranton, Pennsylvania, where the president grew up, there was sympathy for Biden but no campaign signs for either candidate. "I was embarrassed for him. I felt he didn't feel well and he probably shouldn't have gone on the stage," said 73-year-old Jamie Hayes.