Disastrous TV duel - Slips of the tongue: Biden continues to irritate with confusing statements
Old! Not mentally and physically fit enough! Doubts about Joe Biden's fitness for office refuse to subside. The US President, in the nearly 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 moment 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, 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'll be able to make sure 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 take care of every single person's... claim, I mean, for what I'm trying to say, for what I'm trying to get to, is dealing with all the things that we have to do."
Biden remains muddled and tangled
Biden's statement that he had "just had a bad evening" during the most important event of his campaign would be more convincing if he didn't repeat the same errors in his attempts to correct the bad impression.
- During his call on "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, you know, work tomorrow? The age, the age, the idea that I'm too old, that's not it."* 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 spoke 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 we can – it's the United States of America."
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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 polls and nationwide.
Biden, however, is "determined" to stay 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 did not absolutely believe that I am the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024."
If the electorate and the Democrats believe this, Biden still needs to do much better in convincing them.
- In his defense, Biden acknowledged his poor performance during the debate on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," stating, "Look, I had a bad night."
- During an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC, the discussion turned to Biden's debate performance, and he was asked if he had watched it afterwards. Biden admitted, "I don't think I did, no."
- Amidst doubts about his age and fitness for office, Biden faced criticism from MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski, who inquired, "How can you convince the American people that you won't have another night like the one in Atlanta?"
