Joe Biden is “absolutely not” pulling out of the White House race, his spokeswoman said Wednesday, as pressure mounted on the veteran Democrat following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump.
The 81-year-old Biden has told a key ally he must convince the public quickly that he can do the job, The New York Times and CNN reported, raising the stakes for Biden’s first post-debate TV interview, scheduled for Friday.
“He knows if he has two more events like that, we’re in a different place,” the ally said, discussing the president’s poor showing against his Republican predecessor last week, according to the Times.
The White House quickly rejected the report as false.
But Democratic establishment figures have voiced bafflement over what they see as deflection and excuses from the president and his aides after his often incoherent debate performance.
The concern was compounded by a new New York Times poll conducted after the debate that showed Trump with his biggest lead ever over Biden — 49 per cent to 43 per cent of likely voters.
Other post-debate polling by progressive non-profit OpenLabs found that New Hampshire, Virginia and New Mexico — all once safe Biden states — are now in play for Trump.
It wasn’t until Tuesday — five days after the debate — that Biden called House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and congressional staffers have been voicing consternation over the glacial pace of the outreach.
“We are getting to the point where it may not have been the debate that did him in, but the aftermath of how they’ve handled it,” a senior Democratic operative told Washington political outlet Axios.
Biden is “absolutely not” withdrawing from the race, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday, adding he is “moving forward” with his campaign.
Aware of growing alarm in the party, Biden scheduled a meeting with all 23 Democratic governors on Wednesday evening.
He will make his pitch in the swing states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in the coming days, and sit with ABC News on Friday for his first interview since the debate.
The president has cited fatigue as a new explanation for his poor showing, saying that he had been unwise to travel “around the world a couple of times” before the debate and “almost fell asleep on stage.”
But he had been back in the United States for nearly two weeks and spent two days relaxing and six in debate preparation.
The Times said people who have interacted with the president had found that his mental fogginess was “growing more frequent, more pronounced and more worrisome.”
Democratic lawmakers have begun to go public with their doubts, with two saying Tuesday they expected Biden to lose to Trump in November and another calling for him to quit the White House race.
Big names in the House of Representatives who are usually foursquare behind Biden — including Nancy Pelosi and James Clyburn — have acknowledged that questions over his condition are fair.
House Democrats vented their frustration during a video call on Tuesday, although some reportedly cautioned against changing leaders so close to the August nominating convention.
“The fundamental issue, of course, isn’t the campaign. It’s not the Biden family. And it’s not even last week’s debate,” political analyst and prominent Trump critic Bill Kristol wrote Wednesday for conservative outlet The Bulwark.
“It’s the fitness of the president to be president — not for a few more months, but for four more years.”
A Nigerian man and registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola, has been sentenced to prison in the UK after exposing himself and masturbating in front of a woman on a train heading to Manchester.
Odutola, 36, who has no fixed address, was sentenced to 44 weeks in prison at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 14, after pleading guilty to outraging public decency and violating a suspended sentence order.
The incident took place around 7 p.m. on Friday, September 11, on a train traveling through Cheshire towards Manchester Piccadilly railway station.
According to the British Transport Police, Odutola approached a woman on the train, looked her up and down, and became aggressive when she refused to engage with him.
He then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair and began masturbating while staring at the woman and telling her to “come over.”
A fellow passenger intervened and helped escort the distressed woman from the carriage. Police reports indicate that CCTV footage showed Odutola continuing to masturbate as other passengers walked through the carriage.
British Transport Police officers arrested him after the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly. He was prosecuted and jailed within 72 hours of the incident.
Detective Constable Leonidas Christoforou of the British Transport Police stated that Odutola’s behavior was “terrifying” for the victim, whom he allegedly targeted while she was traveling alone.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has declined Nigeria’s request for an upward review of its 2027 Hajj allocation, leaving the country’s quota unchanged despite growing demand from intending pilgrims nationwide.
The Commission disclosed that it had formally engaged the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, seeking additional pilgrimage slots to accommodate the increasing number of Nigerian Muslims desirous of undertaking the sacred journey and to address appeals from several state pilgrims’ welfare boards for enhanced allocations.
However, Saudi authorities communicated their inability to grant additional slots, citing capacity limitations, structural constraints within the holy sites, and the Kingdom’s policy of strict adherence to approved country quotas under the current operational framework.
Consequently, Nigeria’s allocation for the 2027 Hajj exercise remains fixed at 35,000 slots for government pilgrims and 15,000 slots for licensed tour operators, bringing the country’s total approved allocation to 50,000 pilgrims.
Commenting on the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, said the Commission fully understands the disappointment the decision may cause many aspiring pilgrims and state pilgrim boards that had hoped for additional allocations.
According to him, the Commission explored all available diplomatic and operational channels in pursuit of an increased quota but respects the final decision of the Saudi authorities.
“We appreciate the deep spiritual desire of many Nigerian Muslims to perform Hajj and understand the expectations of states and stakeholders seeking additional slots. While every effort was made to secure an upward review, the Saudi authorities have communicated their final position based on operational realities and capacity considerations,” Ambassador Yusuf stated.
The NAHCON Chairman urged state pilgrims’ welfare boards, agencies and licensed tour operators to make judicious and transparent use of their approved allocations while ensuring strict compliance with all timelines established by the Commission and the Saudi Nusuk platform.
He emphasized that the deadline for uploading the data of all prospective pilgrims for the 2027 Hajj exercise remains September 26, 2026, warning that no extensions would be granted under any circumstance.
“Kindly note that the deadline for uploading prospective pilgrims’ data remains September 26, 2026. We urge all partners, state pilgrim boards, tour operators and representatives to ensure that all required information is submitted before this date, as no extensions will be granted,” he said.
Ambassador Yusuf further advised intending pilgrims who may be unable to secure a slot under the approved 2027 allocation not to lose hope, revealing that preparations for the subsequent pilgrimage season have already commenced.
“Individuals who were unable to secure a slot for the upcoming Hajj are encouraged to register for the 2028 Hajj. The Commission has officially opened the registration portal for this period, and applications are now being accepted,” he added.
South African police have arrested five suspects after rescuing a 25-year-old e-hailing driver who was allegedly kidnapped, raped and held for ransom in Cape Town.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement on Sunday that Steenberg police rescued the driver after he was allegedly raped by two female suspects and held at ransom by the group.
Police were alerted by the victim’s brother after the suspects contacted him and demanded R4,000 in cash for the driver’s release.
According to SAPS, the police used the victim’s vehicle tracker to locate him at Southampton Road in Heathfield, where he was rescued.
“Steenberg police rescued a 25-year-old e-hailing driver after he was raped and held at ransom by two female suspects and three males yesterday,” the police said.
The victim had reportedly met one of the female suspects the previous week through his e-hailing business.
According to police, the two exchanged telephone numbers and communicated throughout the week before arranging to meet.
“When he went to meet her, he was kidnapped by the suspects and the females raped him,” SAPS said.
Police subsequently arrested the two female suspects, aged 23 and 34, as well as three male suspects aged 16, 42 and 48.
The five suspects are expected to appear before the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, September 14, 2026.
SAPS said they would face charges relating to the alleged kidnapping and rape.
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