Obama says he still supports Biden for his moral character despite 'bad debate night'

Former President Barack Obama said on Friday that he was still standing by his former deputy, President Joe Biden, despite his bad performance in the first presidential debate on Thursday night. 

Biden's performance in the televised debate has shaken many Democratic insiders, leaving some liberal leaders reportedly scrambling to find a replacement candidate that has a chance of beating former President Donald Trump in November. But the White House has maintained that Biden will remain in the race.

Obama admitted that the president had a bad night, but said the moral character and policy differences between Trump and Biden had not changed.

"Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself," Obama wrote in a post on X. "Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November."

Obama was criticized at the time for his first presidential debate against challenger Mitt Romney, who was the Republican nominee, in 2012. Despite the poor showing, Obama was reelected.

The White House has attempted to dismiss criticism of the president's performance, chalking it up to a bad cold, which explained the raspiness in Biden's voice. But the president also struggled to make his arguments and often lost his train of thought.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has also remained loyal to the president, even as his name is floated as a potential replacement for Biden, claiming on MSNBC that abandoning Biden would not be helpful to the country.

"We've got to have the back of this president," Newsom said. "You don't turn your back because of one performance. What kind of party does that? ... Democrats deliver. This president has delivered. We need to deliver for him at this moment."

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.