A team of President Joe Biden’s allies appeared on cable networks Sunday to provide damage control, as the Democratic nominee tries to climb back up after losing Thursday’s presidential debate to Donald Trump.
Several Democrats spoke out on ABC, MSNBC, NBC and CNN on Sunday morning about the party’s stance on Biden’s debate performance, which shocked the audience and has since stoked fears about whether the president is the right candidate to face in November deal with the extremist Republican Trump.
Most of Biden’s allies have echoed the campaign’s position that while the president underperformed in the debate, he is still the candidate best positioned to defeat his predecessor.
“Look, I think it was a poor debate performance by President Biden. He had a … scratchy, rough voice. He answered some questions in a way that wasn’t the most forceful,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said on ABC’s “This Week.” “But I think Donald Trump, side by side, had a horrific debate performance where, yes, he spoke clearly, but what he said was lie after lie after lie that left most of those watching either confirmed in their belief that they were going to vote for Joe Biden or alarmed by the prospect of Donald Trump.”
Other Democrats also emphasized Trump’s performance and record. They highlighted how much is at stake if the White House goes to the convicted candidate who tried to overturn the 2020 election and roll back the rights of several groups.
Trump “spewed out a volcano of lies all night” of the debate, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) told MSNBC’s “This Weekend.”
“And I say this — those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it,” she added. “We’ve seen what happened under Donald Trump. And even four months of him, let alone four years, can lead us to a place we can’t get out of, and that includes women’s rights to choose. So it’s personally, it’s on the ballot, and [let] everyone tells you it’s not there, because it really is.
Indeed, Biden came back strong after Thursday, speaking in North Carolina and New York over the weekend with a level of energy that was not present during the debate. Rep. Jim Clyburn (DS.C.) told Dana Bash, one of the debate moderators, on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Biden’s speech in North Carolina the next day “captivated the audience.”
Coons also spoke positively about Biden’s speeches in North Carolina and New York, saying on ‘This Week’:He was comfortable, he was proud, giving a powerful speech at a campaign event in North Carolina. He gave a powerful speech in New York. He’s had a great few days and is building on a great few years. No one has been a stronger and more consistent president in my lifetime than Joe Biden.”
Despite the stronger presence over the weekend, top members of the Democratic Party were expected to discuss whether supporting Biden as a presidential candidate is still the right decision. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told MSNBC’s Ali Velshi that there are “very honest and serious, rigorous conversations happening at every level of our party,” while House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y. ) Raskin echoed, telling MSNBC’s “The Weekend” that party leaders will continue to have those conversations with the Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives.
“I believe that a setback is nothing more than a preparation for a comeback.” Leader @RepJeffries about his confidence in President Biden to move forward after Thursday’s debate. pic.twitter.com/XWGkzk3YLQ
— The Weekend on MSNBC (@TheWeekendMSNBC) June 30, 2024
“It was definitely a setback,” Jeffries said of the debate. “But of course I believe that a setback is nothing more than a preparation for a comeback.”
During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) was asked if Biden should drop out of the race after his debate performance, to which he replied, “Oh, absolutely not.”
“I’ll tell you, as a pastor, for me, [Sunday is] church time. And I can tell you there have been more than a few Sundays where I wish I had given a better sermon. But after the sermon was over, my job was to embody the message, to stand up for the people I serve,” Warnock said.
“And that’s what Joe Biden has done his entire life — his entire life of public service — and for the last four years he has committed himself to the American people. … His life is a life of public service, baptized in grief, and that’s why you feel his care when you’re with him,” he continued. “And it’s our job — democracy is a group project — our job is to make sure Donald Trump doesn’t get anywhere near the Oval Office.”
