RALEIGH, N.C. — President Joe Biden delivered the speech, Friday in Raleigh, that many political pundits said he needed following Thursday night’s debate against former President Donald Trump.

At a campaign rally that had become a high-pressure, can-he-do-the-job crucible, Biden needed to reassure his supporters he was up to the challenge.

He took to the stage and addressed his debate performance, avowing that he could do the job.

“I know I’m not a young man,” Biden said. “I don’t walk as easily as I use to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I use to. I don’t debate as well as I use to, but I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong and I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done.

“And I know like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down you get back up,” Biden said.

Biden was coming off more than a 12-hour news cycle criticizing his performance on stage Thursday night at a debate, hosted by CNN, with Trump.

During the debate, Biden looked tired, his voice was weak and his thoughts meandering at times. Democrats needed the president’s speech in Raleigh, his first public event since leaving Atlanta, to be solid and full of energy.

Judging by the reaction from his crowd of supporters — the campaign said 2,000 people attended — that’s what he delivered.

Simone Fine, a Democrat from Durham, was among those who were pleased with the speech.

“I feel like his performance this afternoon was the performance that I wish he had done last night,” she said. “It was good, it was vital, it was firm.”

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