Here’s a sample of what they’ve had to say:
On Biden’s debate performance, Harris told CNN on Thursday: “Listen, first of all, what we saw tonight was the president making a very clear contrast with Donald Trump on all the issues that matter with the American people.”
“Yes, there was a slow start, but there was a strong finish. What became very clear through the course of the night is that Joe Biden is fighting on behalf of the American people on substance, on policy, on performance.”
Later she added: “People can debate on style points, but ultimately this election and who is the president of the United States has to be about substance.”
And: “It was a slow start. That’s obvious to everyone. I’m not going to debate that. I’m talking about the choice in November.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom
On Biden’s performance, Newsom told MSNBC on Thursday: “Well, I thought on the substance he won the debate.”
On talk of replacing Biden: “I think it’s unhelpful, and I think it’s unnecessary. We got to go in and we got to keep our head high. And as I say: We got to have the back of this president. You don’t turn your back because of one performance. What kind of party does that? … He got stronger. He had more stamina over the debate.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Whitmer signaled she intends to see Biden continue to represent the party in the general election.
In a statement released Friday by her political action committee she said: “Joe Biden is running to serve the American people. Donald Trump is running to serve Donald Trump. The difference between Joe Biden’s vision for making sure everyone in America has a fair shot and Donald Trump’s dangerous, self-serving plans will only get sharper as we head toward November.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
Shapiro acknowledged on MSNBC on Friday that Biden had a bad performance: “I think Joe Biden had a bad debate night, but it doesn’t change the fact that Donald Trump was a bad president.”
The governor added: “Nothing about the debate changed that last night.”
He broadly dismissed Democrats fretting about the future of the party: “I’m scared of what will happen if Donald Trump is given the keys to the White House again and so, forgive me, but sitting here and hand-wringing, sitting here and fretting is not the answer.”
Warnock brushed off concerns, saying after the debate: “I would be concerned if the president didn’t have a record to run on, but the fact of the matter is this is a man who’s passed historic legislation.”
He said Americans were reminded about Trump’s character during the debate: “At the end of the day, it’s really about the character of the country, and the American people got a chance tonight to be reminded about the character of Donald Trump, a man who stood there and lied for 90 minutes straight.”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
After Thursday’s debate, Pritzker focused on the November election, writing on X: “Voters face a stark choice in November. A president with the experience to fight for hard-working families across the country vs a 34-count convicted felon who cares only about himself.”
In a statement to The Washington Post on Friday, Pritzker said: “The choice was clear before last night and the choice remains clear. I’m with our nominee Joe Biden who wakes up every day thinking about America’s working families, not Donald Trump — a 34-time convicted felon, adjudicated rapist, and congenital liar who spent last night spewing nothing but lies. Americans rejected Donald Trump’s extreme MAGA agenda in 2020 and they’ll do it again in November.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper
At a Biden campaign rally Friday, Cooper gave an enthusiastic introduction for the president but said little specifically about the debate. He acknowledged that “tensions are high.”
At the rally, Cooper said: “We are just 130 days away from the biggest election of our lifetime. Now, I know that our tensions are high right now, but this election is not just about what kind of president we want to have. This election is about what kind of country we want to be.”
He also underscored: “When the fate of our country was hanging in the balance with a Donald Trump presidency, Joe Biden saved this nation with his victory in 2020. We must do it again in 2024. … If Joe Biden wins North Carolina, he is president of the United States once again.”
