Biden campaign says debate ‘did not change the horse race’

President Biden’s campaign said in a memo Saturday that his poor showing in Thursday night’s presidential debate “did not change the horse race.”

“Flash polls from CNN, 538, SurveyUSA, Morning Consult, and Data for Progress show what we expected: The debate did not change the horse race,” Biden campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in the memo. “This mirrors what the campaign’s internal post-debate polling showed: The president maintained his support among his 2020 voters and voters’ opinions were not changed.”

Saturday’s memo from the Biden campaign follows a rough few days of press for the president following Thursday’s debate in which Biden faced off against former President Trump. Biden’s performance in the debate, during which he stumbled over his words and had a raspy voice, sparked widespread fears among those in his party and resulted in questioning around if the president should stay in the race as the Democratic nominee.