Last week's presidential debate was, in the estimation of many, an abject disaster for Joe Biden, who often appeared slack-jawed, confused, and slow to articulate responses to easily anticipated questions.

However, despite what appears to be a growing chorus of liberal media personalities and some left-leaning politicians for Biden to step aside in favor of an alternative candidate, the president's presumed opponent believes that the incumbent is going nowhere, as Fox News reports.

Trump's post-debate take

After his dominant performance on the debate stage, Trump spoke to Fox News Digital Friday morning to offer his assessment of the night before. “It was a great honor to be on stage representing the people of our country,” the former president began.

Trump's take was in keeping with a statement from his campaign released soon after the event itself concluded, which declared the presumptive GOP nominee to have “delivered the greatest debate performance and victory in history to the largest voter audience in history, making clear exactly how he will improve the lives of every American.”

The campaign took aim at Biden, saying that he “showed exactly why he deserves to be fired” and that not only is he, as special counsel Robert Hur hinted, incompetent to stand trial, but he is also “too incompetent to be president.”

Ticket intact – for now

During his chat with Fox News Digital, the former president was asked whether Biden will indeed be the Democratic Party's nominee for November, given all of the hand-wringing and panicked statements that emerged from the left following the debate.

“Yes, I think he will be the nominee,” Trump declared.

Even when presented with examples of the concerns now gripping liberals about Biden's ability to win another term, Trump stood firm with regard to whether he will be targeted for replacement.

“No, I don't think so. They wouldn't have done any better. No one else would have been better,” Trump opined.

Mixed messages, lingering questions abound

Another powerful former president who entered the fray with regard to Biden's future was Barack Obama, who took to X in what appeared to be an expression of support and encouragement.

“Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who care only about himself. Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight – and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit,” Obama wrote.

He continued, “Last night didn't change that, and it's why so much is at stake in November.”

However, on Monday, conservative media personality Tucker Carlson offered a contradictory revelation on X, writing, “From an unusually good source: Obama's tweet supporting Joe Biden was disingenuous. In private, Obama is telling people Biden can't win, and he is therefore in favor of an open convention.”

As these divergent evaluations of two former presidents seem to attest, precisely which path Biden will ultimately choose is anyone's guess, but unfortunately for the current commander in chief, it will be difficult -- if not impossible -- for his campaign to erase Thursday night's devastating soundbites and visuals from the minds of American voters, and that is something that both Obama and Trump appear to grasp.