US President under pressure - Biden gets tangled and tangled up after the duel debacle
Old! Not intellectually or physically fit enough! Doubts about Joe Biden's fitness for office refuse to subside. The US President, in the two weeks since his disastrous debate with Donald Trump, has made every effort to present the devastating impression he left as an exception.
- "I didn't have a good evening, but Trump also didn't," the 81-year-old said at a campaign event about his lackluster performance.
- "I had a bad evening," Biden said in a radio interview.
- "I was exhausted" and "I just had a bad night," the Democrat explained to ABC moderator George Stephanopoulos.
- "Look at my career, I didn't have many nights like that," he clarified during a surprise call on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
That may be so, but at every other point in his long career, Biden was younger than he is now.
In his 35 minutes and 41 seconds of speaking time during the TV duel, the oldest US President ever made billionaires into millionaires and millions into billions, claimed that many young women are raped by their "husbands, brothers, and sisters," and caused bafflement with this tangled worm sentence:
"We're able to ensure that all the things we have to do – child care, elder care, making sure we strengthen our healthcare system, making sure we're able to provide for every single person ... for the thing I've been talking about, what I've been trying to get passed, the Covid relief package ... Excuse me, the thing, um, dealing with ... all the things we have to do."
Biden continues to muddle and confuse
Biden's statement that he had "just a bad evening" at the most important event of his campaign would be more convincing if he didn't repeat the same mistakes in his attempts to correct the bad impression.
- During his call to "Morning Joe," co-host Mika Brzezinski asked the President: "How can you convince the American people that you won't have another night like the one in Atlanta?"
Biden responded with a reference to his career and the confusing statement: "The fact is, how can you ensure that you'll be on your way to work tomorrow? It's not the age, it's not the idea that I'm too old."* In an interview with ABC, Stephanopoulos asked the 81-year-old: "Did you watch the debate afterwards?"
"I don't think I did, no," Biden replied, unsure of himself.* And in the radio interview, the most powerful man in the world declared, as if he were a black woman:
"I'm proud of myself, as they say, the first vice president, the first black woman, working with a black president. I'm proud of the first black woman on the Supreme Court. There's just so much we can do, because together we can – there's nothing. You see, these are the United States of America."
The stern-Team on site keeps you informed every Saturday in the free newsletter "Inside America" about the most important developments and provides insights into how American women and men really look at their country. After entering your email address, you will receive a confirmation email for your registration. We always handle your data confidentially. Recently, concerns about Biden's age have become more noticeable in the polls. According to the latest figures from Monday, the incumbent is behind Trump in all six states selected for the surveys as well as nationwide.
Biden, however, is "firmly committed" to staying in the race for the White House. "It's time for us to come together as a united party and defeat Donald Trump," he urged Democrats in Congress in a letter on Monday. "I would not be running again if I didn't absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024."
If the electorate and the Democrats believe this, Biden still needs to do significantly better in convincing them.
- During his appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Biden was asked by Joe Scarborough about his performance in the debate and how he plans to improve.
- "On MSNBC's 'The ReidOut,' host Joy Reid questioned Biden about his remark that he's 'proud to be the first black woman' and whether it was a slip of the tongue or a sincere statement.
- George Stephanopoulos, during an interview on ABC, pressed Biden on his age and fitness for office, citing his confusion during the debate as evidence of his decline in cognitive ability.
