White House: Biden will not withdraw from the presidential race

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre answered questions from journalists at a press briefing.

Stating that President Biden had a cold on the day of the debate, which caused his voice to be hoarse, and that he was also affected by jet lag due to his travels, Jean-Pierre assessed the President's live televised debate performance by saying, "He did not have a good night."

"HE WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT WITHDRAW"

In response to questions about whether Biden would withdraw from the presidential race, Jean-Pierre replied, "Absolutely not."

When reporters asked why Biden was still suffering from jet lag given that he had returned from Italy nearly two weeks before the live debate, Jean-Pierre reiterated that Biden has a very busy schedule, adding that travel and a heavy workload can affect people regardless of their age.

Jean-Pierre noted that these were not "excuses," stating, "We are aware that it was not a very good debate. We wanted to explain this."

THE LIVE BROADCAST HAD SPARKED CRITICISM

Democratic President Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump, who are competing in the presidential election to be held on November 5, faced off in their first live televised debate on CNN on the night of June 27.

Biden failed to deliver a performance that would alleviate concerns regarding his age for a second term, and he was subjected to intense criticism following the program. Calls for Biden to "withdraw from the presidential election" were made by some segments of the Democratic Party and some media outlets that support him.

Biden, however, acknowledged that his health is not what it used to be, but stated that he remains the best alternative against Trump and announced that he would not withdraw from the race.