DNC chairman says party backs Biden following debate disaster since he 'has always had our back'

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Jaime Harrison attempted to put rumors of President Biden's replacement to bed following his disastrous debate performance, arguing that the party has the president's back.

Harrison told MSNBC host Al Sharpton that the people are still strongly supporting President Biden, saying that the "hand-wringing" is coming from the media.

"You hear the hand-wringing coming from pundits, Rev, and from op-eds like the New York Times, but you don't hear from the people," he said. 

"What I have seen is that galvanization, particularly in the Black community," he said. "I'm a Black man. I've seen the galvanization of support for Joe Biden because, you know, in the Black community, in your family, you can say all that you want to say about a member of your family, but don't let somebody else." 

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The DNC chairman said that people have Biden's back because he has "always had our back."

"That's what I've seen in terms of support of Joe Biden, because for us, Joe Biden has always had our back, and we're going to have his," he said.

"So we're still riding with Biden," Harrison said.

With a raspy voice and delivering rambling answers, Biden struggled during portions of Thursday night's debate. He also lost his train of thought several times, raising concerns among his closest allies in politics and in the media. 

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Following the debate, Democrats and liberal media figures were reportedly in "panic" after Biden's performance.

The optics led to a full-on meltdown in Democrat-friendly media, with journalists at various outlets reporting on dozens of Democratic Party officials who said the 81-year-old Biden should consider refusing his party's nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.

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Biden gave no indication that he would step down at his first rally following the debate in Raleigh, North Carolina, insisting he is capable of beating Trump. 

"I can do this job, because, quite frankly, the stakes are too high," Biden energetically said. "Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this nation." 

Some strategists have suggested the Democratic Party must act quickly to replace Biden before his nomination is made official in August.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been largely ruled out as a potential replacement due to her unpopularity with voters. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have each previously been floated as a potential last-minute replacement.

Caitlin Clark lauds childhood idol Diana Taurasi ahead of first WNBA matchup: 'One of the greatest players'

Diana Taurasi is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in WNBA history. Meanwhile, rookie Caitlin Clark has helped bring an unprecedented amount of attention to women's basketball.

Clark and the Indiana Fever will faceoff with Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday. The game will mark Clark's first opportunity to compete against Taurasi in the WNBA.

Clark was asked about her feelings leading up to the highly anticipated matchup with a player she grew up idolizing. 

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"It’s incredible," Clark told reporters on Saturday about Taurasi’s two-decade run in the league. "I don’t think people realize how hard that is to do."

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Clark also said taking the court for a game against a player of Taurasi's caliber was "a dream come true. You get to live out your dream while playing against the best."

Clark went on to describe Taurasi as one of the WNBA's all-time greats. "Obviously, she’s one of the greatest players our game has ever seen, the greatest scorer our game has ever seen," Clark said.

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Despite Clark's latest praise, a budding rivalry between the two high-profile players could be on the horizon.

When Taurasi was asked to share her thoughts on facing Clark for the first time, she delivered a brief response. "Yeah, it'll be fun," she said.

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In April, Taurasi was asked about what incoming WNBA rookies could expect. She proceeded to suggest that a rude awakening was in store.

"Look, SVP, reality is coming," Taurasi told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt during an appearance on SportsCenter on April 6. "There’s levels to this thing. And that’s just life. We all went through it. You see it on the NBA side, and you’re going to see it on this side. You look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you’re going to (be playing against) some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time." 

While the comments were about the rookie class as a whole, some believed the remarks were a direct jab at Clark, who dominated at the college basketball level.

Nevertheless, Taurasi and Clark also share some similarities. Taurasi is the WNBA's career scoring leader, while no one scored more points at the NCAA Division I level than Clark. Both point guards are also strong 3-point shooters.

Taurasi is one of three players on the Mercury's roster who will represent the US in Paris next month for the Olympics, joining Brittney Griner and guard Kahleah Copper. Team USA will be competing for a record eight consecutive Olympic gold medal.

The 2024 Olympic roster notably does not include any players who recently rose from the collegiate ranks. Clark's exclusion from the roster sparked considerable debate. Her teammate and the league's reigning rookie of the year, Aliyah Boston was also left off the roster.

The Fever and Mercury tipoff at 3:00 p.m. EST on June 30.

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