2024 Elections

This weekend was a pivotal one for Biden’s campaign, even before his debate performance.

President Joe Biden arrives on Marine One at East Hampton Airport on June 29, 2024, in East Hampton, New York. | Evan Vucci/AP

By Lauren Egan and Myah Ward

06/29/2024 08:44 PM EDT

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RED BANK, New Jersey — Instead of taking a post-debate victory lap, President Joe Biden spent Saturday personally reassuring high-powered donors that he was up to the task of running for reelection and beating Donald Trump after flopping on the stage Thursday night.

At a pair of fundraisers, the president acknowledged his poor debate performance and addressed the New York Times editorial board calling on him to drop out of the race. But he argued that “voters had a different reaction” to the debate, a point his campaign has asserted in the days since the president’s meltdown.

“I understand the concern after the debate,” Biden said at a Saturday evening reception at the home of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and first lady Tammy Murphy. “I get it. I didn’t have a great night, but I’m going to be fighting harder.”

In the days since Biden’s disastrous debate performance, his campaign has tried to ease nerves among skittish donors who are worried about........

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