Joe Biden holds a rally at North Carolina a day after the debate with Trump and addresses concerns voters may have.
Biden hosts a campaign rally in North Carolina following the presidential debate. After introductions from Jill Biden and a Wake County Schools administrator, President Biden outlined his policy agenda including restoring Roe v. Wade, protecting voting rights, defending Medicare and Social Security, lowering prescription costs, addressing climate change, and preserving democracy. He spent considerable time criticizing Trump's debate performance, calling him "a one-man crime wave" with "34 felony convictions," and expressing concern that Trump "will not respect this year's election outcome."
Biden touted his administration's economic achievements including "the strongest economy in the world," 15 million new jobs, 800,000 manufacturing jobs, unemployment under 4% for two years, record small business creation, and inflation reduction from 9% to 3%. He acknowledged his age saying, "I don't walk as easy as I used to... don't speak as smoothly... don't debate as well," but emphasized, "I know how to tell the truth... know right from wrong... know how to do this job." Biden portrayed the election as a critical choice, calling Trump "a genuine threat to this nation," and concluded with optimism about America's future.
News coverage of Biden's post-debate North Carolina rally consistently highlighted his acknowledgment of his debate performance ("I don't debate as well as I used to"), the contrast between his energetic rally appearance versus his debate showing, the supportive presence of Jill Biden, and framing of the event as crisis management. However, outlets diverged significantly in their reporting, with only The Daily Tar Heel mentioning pro-Palestinian protesters, the New York Post emphasizing Democratic panic and using more critical language about Biden's viability, and varying inclusion of details like fundraising numbers, rally attendance, and Biden's later Stonewall Inn appearance.
The articles revealed Democratic anxiety, Biden's recovery attempt, and questions about his candidacy. They differed in their portrayal of the crisis severity, the effectiveness of Biden's response, and editorial priorities - with some highlighting supportive comments from prominent Democrats while others emphasized calls for Biden to step aside, demonstrating how news coverage reflected different narrative priorities and intended audiences in this pivotal campaign moment.
The event began with First Lady Jill Biden introducing herself to enthusiastic chants of "Joe" from the crowd. She acknowledged performers Fat Joe and E-40 before sharing her personal story about loving Joe "from the start," praising his character, optimism, and strength. Jill Biden characterized the previous administration as chaotic and defended her husband's debate performance, saying he "told the truth" while Trump "told lie after lie."
Eric Fitz, a Wake County Public Schools administrator and former principal, was then introduced. Fitz spoke about hosting President Biden at his home months earlier and expressed gratitude for Biden's student loan forgiveness program, which allowed him to save for his sons' college education. He praised Biden's listening skills and described him as "a dad, a leader, a good man."
President Biden opened by acknowledging the audience and thanking Eric Fitz, Governor Roy Cooper, and gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein. He stated his intention to win North Carolina in November, asserting that winning the state would secure the election.
Biden outlined his policy agenda, including:
- Restoring Roe v. Wade as law
- Protecting voting rights
- Defending Medicare and Social Security
- Fighting for childcare, paid leave, and eldercare
- Lowering prescription drug costs
- Protecting the Affordable Care Act
- Getting "weapons of war off our streets"
- Providing clean drinking water, high-speed internet, and quality education
- Securing the border while protecting legal immigration
- Standing up to "dictators like Putin"
- Addressing climate change
- Preserving democracy, which he described as the central issue of the election
Biden spent considerable time criticizing Trump's debate performance, claiming Trump set "a new record for the most lies told in a single debate." Specifically, he stated Trump lied about:
- Economic performance under his administration
- His handling of the COVID-19 pandemic
- His treatment of veterans, referencing Trump allegedly calling fallen soldiers "suckers" and "losers"
- His record on crime
- His role in the January 6th insurrection
Biden highlighted that 40 of Trump's 44 top advisors, including his vice president, are not supporting him this time. He also referred to Trump as "a one-man crime wave," mentioning Trump's "34 felony convictions," sexual assault allegations, and $400 million business fraud fine.
Biden emphasized Trump's role in overturning Roe v. Wade, stating that Trump "is still proud about the pain and cruelties inflicted on America's women." He promised to make Roe v. Wade the law of the land again if reelected with a Democratic Congress.
Biden denied Trump's claim that he "quadrupled taxes," stating he didn't raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 annually. He criticized Trump's tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, claiming Trump now wants a $5 trillion tax cut for the wealthy that would be paid for by cutting Medicare, Social Security, and healthcare. Biden also claimed Trump's import tax plan would raise taxes on the average family by $2,500 annually.
Biden expressed concern that Trump "will not respect this year's election outcome," noting that Trump refused three times during the debate to commit to accepting election results if he lost. Biden referenced Trump's previous statements about potential "bloodshed" if he doesn't win, calling it unprecedented language from a president.
Biden touted his administration's economic achievements:
- "Strongest economy in the world"
- 15 million new jobs created
- 800,000 manufacturing jobs
- Unemployment under 4% for two consecutive years
- Historic low Black and Hispanic unemployment
- Record small business creation
- Inflation reduction from 9% to 3%
He mentioned that 16 Nobel Prize-winning economists had evaluated both his and Trump's economic plans, concluding that Biden's plan would continue economic growth while Trump's would cause recession and inflation.
In his closing, Biden acknowledged his age, saying, "I don't walk as easy as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to," but emphasized, "I know how to tell the truth... know right from wrong... know how to do this job."
Biden portrayed the election as a critical choice for America's future, calling Trump "a genuine threat to this nation," to "freedom," and to "democracy." He invoked America's founding principle that "we're all created equal" and promised not to let Trump "walk away from it."
The speech concluded with Biden expressing optimism about America's future, stating, "America is not a losing nation, America is winning," and "There is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together."
All news articles consistently emphasized Biden's explicit acknowledgment of his debate performance with his now-famous line: "I don't walk as easy as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to." This admission was treated as a significant moment across all coverage, suggesting a rare moment of vulnerability from the president.
Every article noted the stark contrast between Biden's energy level at the rally versus during the debate. Terms like "more animated," "energetic," and "energetic-appearing" appeared consistently, with reporters highlighting that Biden appeared more vigorous and engaged than he had the previous night.
The articles generally framed the rally within a larger narrative of political crisis for the Biden campaign, presenting it as an attempt to recover from what most described as a disastrous debate performance. This framing positioned the rally as part of damage control efforts rather than a standard campaign stop.
All coverage mentioned First Lady Jill Biden's supportive comments, noting her "vote" dress and her defense of her husband's debate performance, characterizing Trump as dishonest while portraying the president as truthful.
The articles focused heavily on behind-the-scenes Democratic Party reactions. The AP article discussed how "elected members of his party closed ranks around him" while noting "donors and supporters couldn't contain their concern." The New York Post described "crisis talks involving campaign staffers, fundraisers and past and present elected Democrats."
Multiple articles mentioned that the New York Times editorial board called for Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee following the debate, with the Post noting it happened "shortly after Biden left Stonewall."
The New York Post article uniquely described campaign staff efforts to limit negative press: "Times politics reporter Simon Levien informed press colleagues in a pool report that a Nevada Democratic Party official 'followed' him around a campaign event Friday featuring Vice President Kamala Harris in Las Vegas and 'asked for interviews to conclude when the voters began criticizing the campaign.'"
The Daily Tar Heel and NBC News included quotes from rally attendees. For example, attendee John Burns telling NBC, "It wasn't his best night, but he's a better president," shows how supporters were processing the debate performance.
NBC News uniquely reported on the preparation for the rally remarks: "A senior Biden adviser said the campaign team worked closely with the president Friday morning to draft his closing remarks in Raleigh about the debate." This behind-the-scenes detail reveals how the campaign deliberately crafted Biden's response to the debate fallout.
The Daily Tar Heel was the only publication to report on pro-Palestinian protesters at the rally, noting that "Throughout Biden's address, there were outbursts from pro-Palestine attendees surrounding the president's actions in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with one protester saying that the president was funding genocide." This significant element was completely omitted from all other coverage.
Only the AP article included specific fundraising numbers following the debate: "Biden's campaign announced that it raised $14 million on debate day and the morning after, while Trump's campaign said it raised more than $8 million from the start of the debate through the end of the night." Other outlets did not include this financial context.
The New York Post and ABC News mentioned Biden's later appearance at the Stonewall Inn with Elton John, while the NBC News and Daily Tar Heel articles did not cover these subsequent events at all, focusing exclusively on the North Carolina rally.
The New York Post adopted the most critical tone regarding Biden's future, mentioning an insider telling them they feared "delusion" had set in at top government levels. The Post also reported that journalist Olivia Nuzzi was "uninvited from a Hamptons fundraiser," suggesting campaign restriction of press access. The AP and NBC articles presented a more measured tone about Democratic concerns, while ABC News largely minimized the panic angle.
ABC News uniquely included: "A senior campaign aide told ABC News that the president is 'absolutely' not considering dropping out of the race after stumbling with answers and is committed to a second debate." This direct statement about Biden's intentions regarding remaining in the race was not included in other coverage.
Only the Daily Tar Heel provided specific attendance figures, stating "Around 2,000 people attended the rally," while other outlets used vaguer descriptions like "large crowd" or didn't mention attendance numbers at all.
The Daily Tar Heel noted Biden's speech "lasted about 20 minutes," while the AP specified "Speaking for 18 minutes," providing concrete timing information absent from other articles.
The New York Post used more definitive language about Biden's debate performance ("calamitous," "disaster") and included information suggesting mounting pressure for him to step aside. In contrast, ABC News and NBC News used more measured terms ("poor performance," "tough debate") and emphasized Biden's intention to remain in the race.
The AP and NBC News highlighted supportive comments such as Obama's tweet and from other prominent Democrats like Whitmer, Newsom, and Shapiro, while the New York Post emphasized The New York Times' call for Biden to step aside. This selection of which political reactions to include reveals different narrative priorities.
ABC News gave significant space to Biden's attacks on Trump as a "one-man crime wave" and a person with "the morals of an alley cat," while the New York Post downplayed these attacks, characterizing them as repeating "one of the few well-rated lines from his debate performance."
The New York Post focused more on perceived verbal difficulties, noting Biden "mangled the acronym for sexual minorities" at his Stonewall appearance and describing an awkward moment with Elton John, while ABC News portrayed a more "energetic-appearing" Biden who successfully delivered his message.
The news articles collectively reveal a political moment characterized by Democratic anxiety, Biden's attempt to recover from a poor debate performance, and continued questions about his viability as a candidate. However, they diverge significantly in their framing of the severity of the crisis, the effectiveness of Biden's response, and what elements of the rally were deemed newsworthy.
Articles Analyzed: AP News, NY Post, NBC News, Daily Tar Heel
*There may be errors on this page.
Joe Biden Campaign Rally At North Carolina Following Debate
Timelines Involved
- Event Date:
Youtube embed about Joe Biden Campaign Rally At North Carolina Following Debate
Biden speaks at campaign rally in North Carolina following debate - YouTube
President Joe Biden states "we're going to protect democracy" at a North Carolina campaign rally following Thursday's presidential debate.Subscribe to ABC Ne...