RED BANK, N.J. — President Joe Biden sought to regain momentum and reassure donors at a Saturday fundraiser, vowing to “fight harder” against Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
“I didn’t have a great night, but neither did Trump,” Biden told attendees at the home of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. “Donald Trump is a genuine threat to the nation,” he emphasized, citing concerns over Trump’s potential impact on democracy and the economy.
The 81-year-old’s performance at the first presidential debate on Thursday sparked concern among many Democrats, who view Trump as an existential threat to U.S. democracy. Biden’s struggles to respond to Trump and his meandering answers prompted The New York Times editorial board to suggest he exit the race, calling it a “reckless gamble.”
Biden and his wife, Jill, attended a campaign event in East Hampton, New York, at the home of Avram Glazer, an owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team. The event was closed to the news media.
The couple later attended a second event at the home of investor Barry Rosenstein, where Jill Biden praised the president’s resilience, saying he is “a role model for what it is to get knocked down over and over and over again and get up.”
Addressing the gathering, Biden criticized Trump’s presidential record, including his treatment of veterans. “I didn’t have a great night, but I believe with all my heart and soul that I can do the job of the presidency,” he said.
The Biden campaign reported raising more than $27 million on Thursday and Friday, including $3 million at a New York City fundraiser focused on the LGBTQ+ community.
