In the , one of voters’ biggest concerns is with President Biden. At 81, Biden is the oldest president ever, and would be 86 at the end of a second term.
As the Biden camp tried to radiate energy and vitality ahead of his debate with the former president Donald Trump — huddled in Camp David — Biden’s gravelly voice and stuttering delivery during the historic contest led to open concern within the Democratic Party about his ability to win reelection.
🗣️Democratic fear
“It’s kind of a DEFCON 1 moment,” David Plouffeformer President Barack Obama’s campaign manager said after the debate on MSNBC.
“It really pains me to say this. They are three years apart,” Plouffe said of Biden and Trump, who is 78. “They seemed about 30 years apart tonight. And I think that’s the thing that voters are struggling with the most as we come out of this.”
David Axelrod, another top Obama adviser and CNN commentator, said on the cable channel shortly after the debate that he thought “there was actually a sense of shock about the way he came out at the beginning of this debate, the way his voice sounded. He seemed a little disoriented. He got stronger as the debate went on. But by that point I think the panic had set in.”
Axelrod added: “And I think you’re going to hear discussions that I don’t know if they’re going to lead to anything, but there will be discussions about whether he should continue.”
Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s former White House communications director, said on CNN that it was “a really disappointing debate performance.”
“His biggest problem that he had to prove to the American people was that he had the energy, that he had the stamina — and he didn’t,” she said.
🥊 Damage control
Many Democrats also defended Biden, especially on the substance of the issues he discussed with Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris admitted that Biden initially had a “slow start” but pointed out the contrast he presented with Trump.
“Can you say that you’re not at all concerned because you saw the president’s performance tonight?” CNN host Anderson Cooper asked Harris shortly after the debate.
“It was a slow start. That’s obvious to everyone. I’m not going to argue that point. I’m talking about the choice in November,” Harris responded.
“I understand that this is the aftermath of the debate, this conversation that I’m participating in, and I understand why everyone wants to talk about it,” she continued, “but I think it’s also important to recognize that the choice in November between these two people standing on the debate stage brought extraordinary interests.”
➕Read more
-
How did Trump and Biden do in the debate? Three lessons from the first big clash of 2024. “Biden struggled to show that his age doesn’t matter.” []
-
CNN moderators at Biden-Trump debate: It almost didn’t matter that they were on stage. “Did the moderators play a role? … Their problem was that more often than not the questions were ignored as the two candidates continued to bicker at their own pace.” []
-
Swing state voters react to presidential debate and Biden’s weak performance. “At a viewing party hosted by the Biden campaign, some voters were adamant that Biden had delivered a strong debate performance, while others expressed reservations.” []
-
Who won the Biden-Trump debate? Biden’s freeze raises concerns about age. “The biggest moment of the evening came early, when Biden paused for several seconds while answering a question about the economy.” []
-
FACT FOCUS: Here’s a look at some of the false claims made during Biden and Trump’s first debate. “Here’s a look at the false and misleading claims made by the two candidates Thursday night.” []
