US election - Biden's debate disaster: Debate about withdrawal from the race
Joe Biden's weak performance during the first TV debate against his challenger Donald Trump has caused panic in the Democratic Party and has led to calls for his withdrawal from the race for the White House. The television debate was seen as a test for the 81-year-old Democrat.
During the back-and-forth, the most powerful man in the world frequently stumbled, speaking incoherently, softly, and with a rough voice. According to US media, Biden's performance set off alarm bells among Democrats. No prominent party member has publicly criticized Biden yet. However, the judgment of party strategists and observers on Biden's performance was unanimous.
Biden defended his performance. "I wouldn't come back if I didn't believe in my heart and soul that I can do this job," he said at a campaign event in Raleigh in the US state of North Carolina. "I know I'm not a young man, to put it mildly." He may not run, speak, or debate as well as before, the Democrat continued. "But I know how to tell the truth."
Biden's shaky performance casts a shadow
Biden is running for re-election as President in early November. His predecessor, the 78-year-old Trump, is also running for the Republicans. According to polls, the two are in a dead heat. A persistent theme in the campaign is the high age of the candidates. Biden wanted to show during the nearly 90-minute TV debate on Thursday evening (local time), which marks the heated phase of the US election campaign, that he is fit. This has now failed. "He lost the debate from the start," according to an opinion piece in the "Washington Post." Even though there are still several months until the election, the TV spectacle before millions of viewers was a blow to Biden, who will leave traces.
The debate was organized by the cable network CNN in Atlanta in the US state of Georgia. Biden and Trump were not allowed to use cheat sheets during the debate and had to speak freely. The debate took place without a studio audience. The microphone of the presidential candidate who was not speaking was muted. Since the political beliefs of both candidates are largely known, it was mainly about how well Biden and Trump would perform in a direct confrontation on the stage. Trump, as usual, relied on aggressive rhetoric and spread false claims on many topics. Biden's shaky performance overshadowed this - even the Democrat did not always stick to the facts.
Democrats in explanation mode
After the event, supporters of the Democrats had noticeable difficulties defending the performance of the US President. "His biggest problem was proving to the American people that he has the energy and stamina. And he didn't do that," said Kate Bedingfield, who once worked as Communications Director for Biden in the White House. The "New York Times" quoted a prominent Democratic Party donor, Mark Buell, bluntly. He did not yet call for Biden's resignation. But the President must seriously consider whether he is the best candidate, Buell said. Under the cover of anonymity, some Democrats were even more explicit. "A disaster," a Democratic congressman told CNN about Biden's performance.
Following the debate, eyes turned to potential alternatives to Biden. The Governor of the US state of California, Gavin Newsom, who has been rumored to have presidential ambitions, publicly endorsed Biden. "I will never turn my back on President Biden," he said. The unpopular Vice President Kamala Harris was grilled about Biden's performance in a TV interview - and finally admitted that her boss had a "rocky start." Other prominent Democrats who spoke out publicly emphasized that Biden would remain the candidate of the party and tried to downplay the performance.
Personal Attacks
During the TV spectacle, Biden and Trump were grilled by moderators on a range of topics. The two politicians exchanged barbs on economic policy, abortion, immigration, and had to address international crises such as Russia's aggression in Ukraine or the Middle East conflict. Biden was often personal and insulted his opponent - but this hardly registered, as the 81-year-old frequently stumbled over his words or spoke incoherently. "I have a throat problem," he said after the debate in response to a question about whether he was sick.
Trump went after Biden hard and accused him of being unfit for the presidency. "He is, without a doubt, the worst president (...) in the history of our country," Trump spat. He also repeatedly referred to the Democrats derisively as "Joe" - the correct title would have been "President." Trump once again painted a bleak picture of the United States and presented himself as the only salvation. He avoided, however, falling into his usual long monologues filled with self-pity. Trump's campaign team celebrated the Republican for his performance and released a campaign video after the debate featuring only Biden's worst moments during the debate. Instead of Trump speaking, it was a montage of Biden's most embarrassing moments.
- Joe Biden's debate performance in Raleigh, North Carolina, was a response to the criticism he received from US media after the TV duel with Donald Trump.
- The Washington Post published an opinion piece criticizing Biden's performance in the CNN-organized debate in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Despite Biden's weak performance, the Republicans in North Carolina are also preparing for the Elections in early November, with Donald Trump as their candidate.
- The television debate became a topic in the #USElection2024 discussions on social media, as it marked the heated phase of the Presidential election campaign.
- Some Democrats, like Mark Buell, have suggested that Biden should seriously consider whether he is the best candidate ahead of the elections in November.
- The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, publicly endorsed Biden, while Kamala Harris admitted her boss had a "rocky start" in a TV interview.
- CNN captured the debate without a studio audience and muted the microphone of the non-speaking candidate, making it a critical test for both Biden and Trump.
- The debate was marked by personal attacks and false claims from both candidates, but Trump's aggressive rhetoric and Biden's shaky performance overshadowed each other.
- After the debate, the TV network CNN released a campaign video focusing on Biden's worst moments, boasting of Trump's performance.
