The White House has told the outlet that the claim is \u201cabsolutely false\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
US President Joe Biden is seriously considering whether he can recover from his \u201cdisastrous\u201d debate performance, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing a \u201ckey ally\u201d who wished to remain anonymous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Biden struggled<\/a> through last week\u2019s exchange with challenger Donald Trump, hosted by CNN. The Times described his performance as \u201cdevastating,\u201d even though Biden\u2019s campaign had arranged the circumstances to be maximally favorable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe knows if he has two more events like that, we\u2019re in a different place\u201d by the end of the Independence Day weekend, the unnamed ally told the newspaper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While the unnamed source insisted that Biden is \u201cstill deeply in the fight for re-election,\u201d the 81-year-old is reportedly aware that the next several days must go well if he wishes to \u201csalvage\u201d his candidacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biden is scheduled to record an interview with ABC\u2019s George Stephanopoulos \u2013 a Clinton White House veteran \u2013 on Friday and take part in campaign events in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. A meeting with Democratic governors is also on the schedule for Wednesday evening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n White House spokesman Andrew Bates told the NYT that the anonymous ally\u2019s claim was \u201cabsolutely false\u201d and that he had not been given enough time to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Times, Biden has told at least one person that he is open to the possibility that the plan to move on from the debate and shift the narrative to Trump \u201cmay not work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The White House and the campaign have offered a range of excuses<\/a> for what happened at the debate. Meanwhile, a CBS News poll<\/a> on Wednesday showed Trump two points ahead of Biden nationally and three points in battleground states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cConcerns are mounting about his viability as a candidate and whether he could serve as president for another four years,\u201d the Times noted. Several other unnamed allies of Biden told the outlet that he was \u201cclear-eyed\u201d about the \u201cuphill battle to convince voters, donors and the political class\u201d that his debate performance was just a bad day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Media outlets that have been friendly to Biden for years, insisting just last month that he was \u201csharp as a tack\u201d and that allegations of mental and physical infirmity were fake news, turned on the president practically overnight. Major party donors have reportedly done so as well<\/a>, demanding a new candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vice President Kamala Harris remains unpopular, however, and the Democrats did not allow a competitive primary, leaving them in a bind to name a possible replacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n