(NewsNation) — Current President and 2024 Democratic nominee Joe Biden‘s performance and perceived confusion on stage at the debate last week garnered much criticism, both from those within his party and outside of it.

While some Democrats tried to downplay these concerns, there was still much talk about potential replacement candidates.

“That’s a question that everyone in Washington is wondering right now — who else could beat former President Donald Trump? Who else would Biden pass the baton to if it ever came to that?” Alex Gangitano, White House Correspondent for NewsNation partner The Hill said on “Morning in America” Monday, adding that something like that happening would be ” extremely unlikely.”

Biden and sources close to him have said he has no plans to drop out of the race, and even said donations spiked following Thursday’s debate against Donald Trump. Some names have been floated to be the new Democratic nominee if he does, but so far, they pushed back against the need to choose a different candidate.

Vice President Kamala Harris

There’s been speculation about Vice President Kamala Harris stepping in to run for president. As she is Biden’s successor, Gangitano said, Harris would be able to take some of the funds he raised on the Biden-Harris ticket.

The Hill reports that a Democrat who served in the Obama White House said Harris “clearly has a purpose now to make the case for what they have accomplished.” A Democratic donor told the outlet that in the next 30 days, it may be up to her to make the case.

“People will be looking to her and testing her to see if she’s ready,” the donor said, according to The Hill.

However, at an event this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada to rally the Latino vote, Harris threw her support behind Biden, and went after Trump.

“In a real leader, character matters more than style, and Donald Trump simply does not have the character to be president of the United States,” she said.

Harris spokesperson Ernie Apreza said in a statement to The Hill that she “looks forward to serving a second term with President Joe Biden.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Mentions of Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s name have been rampant — but insists he has Biden’s back. At the debate, hosted by CNN in Atlanta, Newsom served a surrogate for Biden, though deflected questions about replacing him on the Democratic ticket.

“No, our nominee is Joe Biden,” Newsom told reporters, per NewsNation affiliate KTLA. “I’m looking forward to voting for him in November.”

Added Newsom:  “I will never turn my back on him.”

Newsom, a former mayor of San Francisco and then two terms as lieutenant governor of California, has used his platform to make the case against Trump, and support the Democratic party, the New York Times wrote.

Even with his full-throated support of Biden, Newsom’s openly considered running in the 2028 presidential election, per the Times. His current term as governor ends in January 2027.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer led a 2022 re-election campaign that gave Democrats in her state full control of the legislature and state government for the first time in decades, the New York Times writes. She’s also vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.

But she recently made a call to a senior official on Biden’s campaign, telling them she hated the way her name was being put out there as a potential 2024 Democratic nominee, Politico reported. During the Friday phone call, Whitmer told the campaign official that these calls for her to replace Biden are not coming from her, reiterating her commitment to help the current president, Politico said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes is the country’s largest swing state, with the newspaper characterizing it as a “key prize for anyone hoping to win the presidency.”

Shapiro has won two races in Pennsylvania as a candidate for attorney general before running a successful campaign for governor. Even though he’s dealt with a Republican-led state Senate and an evenly divided House, the Post-Gazette writes that he maintains a high approval rating, especially when compared to his predecessors. After the February 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which borders Pennsylvania, Shapiro took on Norfolk Southern, and the Post-Gazette said he won national attention for the reopening of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia.

In multiple interviews Shapiro has defended Biden’s candidacy.

“I would just say Democrats stop worrying and start working,” Shapiro said, when asked about the debate on MSNBC, adding that Biden is “up for the job.” “We all have a responsibility here to do our part.”

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear

National and local media outlets and politicians have written about Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s potential as a presidential pick because of the Democrat’s popularity in what has traditionally been a red state, The Louisville Courier-Journal reported.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Beshear acknowledged Biden’s debate performance was rough, saying it was a “bad night for the president,” according to a WLKY reporter.

This doesn’t mean Beshear is jumping into the running for the 2024 election, though. As long as Biden is in the race, Beshear said, the governor plans on supporting him.

“Only the president can determine his future as a candidate,” Beshear said.

NewsNation anchor Adrienne Bankert and correspondent Kellie Meyer contributed to this article.