LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whom some consider a potential future candidate for president, and other top state Democrats voiced continued support Friday for President Joe Biden after his shaky performance in Thursday's debate with Republican Donald Trump drew widespread criticism.

As questions flew about the 81-year-old president's chances of winning in November over former President Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, said Democrats should stick with Biden, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, said Biden simply had a "bad night."

Whitmer's remarks didn't specifically reference the debate but came as pundits and national journalists floated the possibility of Biden somehow being replaced by Whitmer or another younger Democrat as the party's presidential nominee before the Aug. 19-22 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Biden's focus "is on lowering families’ costs, building an economy that works for working people and restoring the reproductive freedom women lost the last time Donald Trump was in the White House," Whitmer said in a statement released by her political action committee.

"Joe Biden is running to serve the American people," Whitmer added. "Donald Trump is running to serve Donald Trump.The difference between Joe Biden’s vision for making sure everyone in America has a fair shot and Donald Trump’s dangerous, self-serving plans will only get sharper as we head toward November.”

Whitmer, a second-term governor and former state lawmaker, is a co-chair of Biden's reelection campaign. Like other prominent Democrats, she has been consistent in her support of Biden amid speculation that she could be an alternative candidate if Biden stepped aside.

"Biden will be a one-term president," tweeted Steve Schmidt, a national political consultant and Trump critic. "He still has the chance to watch a Democrat be inaugurated. There are 68 days until the DNC. Whitmer/Moore beats Trump."

Schmidt was referring to Whitmer and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

Biden, who is 81 years old, gave some meandering and confusing answers during Thursday's presidential debate, the first of his 2024 race against Trump. Biden frequently spoke with a weaker-than-normal voice.

At one point, Biden mentioned COVID-19 and then stated, "We finally beat Medicare." At another, Biden discussed immigration and said he was going to work toward a "total ban" and then corrected himself, saying he was pursuing "the total initiative relative to what we can do with more border patrol and more asylum officers."

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