Biden campaign raises $33 million in days since lackluster debate performance

Despite reports that many major Democratic donors are urging President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid following a lackluster performance in last week's presidential debate, the Biden campaign is rejecting those notions.

Related story: After the first debate, discussion of whether President Biden should step aside as the Democratic candidate

Fresh off several fundraising events in New York this weekend, the president's campaign said in an email obtained by The Hill that it has raised more than $33 million in the days since Thursday's debate, including some $26 million in grassroots donations. The Biden campaign noted that Thursday and Friday were also its best fundraising days of the 2024 election cycle in regard to small-dollar donations.

The fundraising haul comes after multiple news outlets, political commentators and former advisers to President Biden characterized a widespread "panic" among Democrats following the debate — with some teasing the possibility that he could step aside as the Democrats' presidential candidate for 2024. A post-debate poll conducted by CBS News-YouGov over the weekend found that 72% of registered voters believe President Biden "should not" be running for president, including nearly half of registered Democrats.

Related story: Biden campaign seeks to move forward from debate, criticizes Trump "lies"

President Biden’s campaign leadership, meanwhile, refuted the idea it would pursue any change in strategy or entertain conversations calling for him to step aside, insisting that the president would be at the next debate. His surrogates also hit the airwaves over the weekend, arguing that voters should look at President Biden's legislative record during his three years in the White House and not 90 minutes of one debate.