No holiday for Biden as debate crisis cleanup continues

While Americans were celebrating the July 4 holiday with fireworks and feasts, President Joe Biden on Thursday continued to face explosive fallout from his debate against Donald Trump that has left many Democrats hungry for a replacement.

The 81-year-old has struggled since last week's debate to tamp down panic among his party, but he won the backing Wednesday of Democratic governors who gathered for an emergency meeting with him at the White House.

However, a new and potentially damaging wrinkle emerged on Independence Day, with The New York Times reporting Biden told the governors he needs more sleep and plans to curtail public events after 8:00 pm.

The revelation was according to two participants in the meeting, the Times said, and could further fuel rumblings within the party about finding a replacement candidate for November's election.

With polls showing Republican Trump extending a narrow lead after last week's debate, Biden finds himself under pressure as never before to demonstrate his capacity to lead.

"I had a bad night," Biden acknowledged to Wisconsin's Civic Media in a pre-recorded radio interview that aired Thursday.

"I screwed up. I made a mistake," he added. "That's 90 minutes on stage. Look at what I've done in 3.5 years."

The White House has insisted Biden is "absolutely not" stepping down.

  'Not going anywhere' 

Biden himself sought to appear determined he was staying in the race, telling his radio interviewer: "When you get knocked down, you just get back up."

Later at an Independence Day barbecue at the White House, he told the crowd of military personnel and their families that he was "not going anywhere."

Responding to a supporter...