Biden rejects calls to drop out and commits to next debate after shaky night against Trump: Live updates

This is the only star opinion that matters…

…but here’s Tom Murray with more celebrity reaction to last night’s hot mess.

Presented without comment.

Hakeem Jeffries (sort of) calling for calm here (in the briefest, gruffest way possible) after last night’s debate.

Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi has also been declining to come out unequivocally for Biden this morning, but does offer this attack on Trump.

Jim Clyburn, 83, has also been revealing a surprise turn of pace that few thought he still had in him. Bravo sir!

If you’re wondering about the extent of liberal panic right now, look no further than this…

The co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, himself a former congressman, did not mince words on his show this morning, denouncing Biden’s debate performance and turning his ire on California governor Gavin Newsom for standing up for the president immediately after last night’s debacle.

Newsome said in the immediate aftermath: “I will never turn my back on President Biden. I don’t know a Democrat in my party that would do so. And especially after tonight. We have his back. We run not the 90-yard dash. We’re all in, we’re going to double down in the next few months. We’re gonna win this election.”

But Scarborough was having none of it, addressing Newsom directly as he said: “You are hurting America by closing your eyes, putting your head down and saying we’re going to plough ahead with what we all saw last night…

“It was the worst debate performance in modern political history.”

Guests Eugene Robinson and John Heilemann were equally unsparing – all of which comes as a doubly cruel blow for Biden as Morning Joe is apparently his favourite show!

The president claimed that the US Border Patrol endorsed him during Thursday’s presidential debate – but its union immediately shot back and denied it.

The president is refusing to go quietly after last night’s disaster as speculation about panicking Democrats racing to replace him continues to run rife.

As it stands, he’s still down to appear at a second debate with Trump on ABC scheduled for Tuesday 10 September.

I can think of a lot worse things to call him.

Here’s Alex Woodward on Biden failing to take his opportunities to hold his rival to account.

“I agree with their decision to have done that, and I will not block it,” Trump said last night of the US Supreme Court’s decision to throw out a challenge to the federal government’s approval of the abortion pill mifepristone.

Biden confronted Trump for the first time in person about his role on January 6 2021, asking him to denounce the far-right Proud Boys gang once again as well as the other rioters who attacked the US Capitol in part of a Trump-encouraged bid to stop the certification of the 2020 election results in Congress.

Alex Woodward reports on the Republican’s response.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the key exchanges.

Katie Hawkinson has this on Biden’s attack on Trump over Stormy Daniels and having “the morals of an alley cat”.