President Joe Biden
President Joe BidenREUTERS/Evelyn Hockstei

US President Joe Biden told an ally that he is considering withdrawing from the presidential race following his disastrous debate with rival Donald Trump last week, the New York Times reported.

According to the report, Biden believes he has a small window of opportunity to convince the American public that he is still fit to be president during an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News on Friday and campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Biden struggled throughout Thursday’s debate, seeming to lose his train of thought at times and looking old and tired.

Following the debate, a CBS News poll found that an overwhelming majority of Americans now say that Biden is unfit for his position and should not run in the elections. 72% of respondents said that Biden does not have the cognitive and mental health to serve as president and should not run.

A CBS poll found that Donald Trump has pulled ahead of Biden nationally in the aftermath of the debate, with 50% support compared to Biden's 48%. In the important battleground states, Trump's lead over Biden grows to three percent, with him receiving 51% percent support while Biden retains his 48% support.